Time Will Tell  A Roxas Story
by Emi Hikari
Summary: Two years after the events of Kingdom Hearts, we find Roxas living out his own life at last, only to meet someone who will change that forever.  But how did he get there in the first place?
1. Introduction, Chapter 1:  Rescue

Intro: Mackenzie

This is simply an intro and a warning of what's to come. Mackenzie Harding is a severely abused sixteen and a half year old. She has been basically inhumanized to the point of death in almost every way. I'm warning you now: this is NOT AT ALL like NLB. While NLB was happy and romantic, TWT is sad and only humorous after the first five+ chapters. Romance doesn't even start until around then, as well. And the very end, well, you'll see.

Roxas is now seventeen, and lives by himself in Hollow Bastion. He escaped his fate as a Nobody-you'll eventually know how-and, along with Namine, moved away. Namine disappeared shortly after. So, in result, Roxas and a few other familiar faces started an organization to help the missing, abused, and ill at mind. This is where Mackenzie and Roxas come together into play. And this is where I leave you!

Consider yourselves warned; Mackenzie is _pretty_ messed up in the beginning. Of course, you would be too if you were in her situation. See you, and please feel free to rate and/or message/email me whenever you have an opinion. I tried to bleep out the language and tone it down, so it shouldn't be too bad. Alright? Later! ^.^

Chapter 1: Rescue

Memo: Mackenzie has fighting spirit in her, it's something I admire about her as a character. She also has a potty mouth at the beginning. lol.

your pov

Dark.

That's all you've been able to see for the past six months.

That's all.

You've been down here for a total of a year and a half, but you've been alone only six months.

You're dying.

You're starving.

You've been beaten too many times to count, and raped twice.

Things aren't looking too good. Talk about stating the obvious.

You let out a small cough, pulling the thin blanket around your thin, naked body. Your hands and feet are tied together, so it makes it difficult to move at all.

*Why won't somebody help me!* you think. *Why isn't anyone coming for me?*

Well, it doesn't matter anymore. You're going to die down here, whether it be from hypothermia, starvation, or your keeper coming back and beating you again.

A year and a half ago, you were happily walking home from school on your birthday when suddenly you were shoved from behind. You had figured it was a stupid jock trying to be cool or a neighborhood kid not paying any attention to where he was going. You turned and saw no one, though. Suddenly a man grabbed you from behind and shoved some cloth into your mouth. You tried to scream, but it hurt. He squeezed your waist tightly and opened some sort of dark portal. You blacked out, then awoke to find yourself in this very basement.

Since then, you've been-as you said earlier-raped twice and beaten every time the guy came home in a bad mood. The only thing he didn't do was starve you. He actual kept you well-fed and gave you water, even sometimes milk or orange juice. But still.

Then about six months ago, he left.

"Goodbye, my sweet cherry blossom," he said, holding a gigantic claymore of some sort. "I'll be back if I can. Don't you worry, cherry blossom." He elined down to kiss you and you spat in his face. "Oh, dear me, cherry blossom-"

"I swear to the freakin' higher power...call me that again and I'll kick your ass," you said, shivering.

"In your condition? No, no dear. I wouldn't try it." And then...

That was the second time he raped you. The first time was when he first brought you there. Whatever his job was must've been stressful, because he would come down and beat the hell out of you with that claymore and his fists and anything he could get his hands on. The only times you saw his face was when he would throw you down and cut your back with a knife, then leave the lights on so you could watch yourself bleed. Blood freaks you out, and he knew it.

You shudder and cough again. Your head hangs down as you kneel on the floor, surrounded by your own waste and vomit and blood. Your once bright-red hair seems dull now. You hunch over at your waist and start to cry. Only now when you cry, because you're so dehydrated, no tears actually fall, because the only water you get is when it rains and the basement leaks and you have to lick it off the ground... It's just a bunch of sobbing and coughing and shivering. And sometimes, when it hurts too much, you cry out.

Suddenly a pounding on the front door interrupts your crying. You lift your head up and cock your head to listen.

"Open up!" a man's voice shouts. You hear the door slam open and at least five people run inside.

*Oh no, he brought friends,* you think, falling to the ground. You let out a small groan.

"Search every room!" another voice, a younger sounding one, shouts.

You hear running and the opening of doors. Then, suddenly, the door to the basement flies open. You let out a small cry of fear.

"No! Leave me alone, damm!t!" you shout, curling up into a ball.

"Who's there?" the voice shouts, flicking on the lights. You shriek and shut your eyes. Geez, that burns!

"Oh my gawd," one of the people says. You open your eyes a crack to see three younger guys standing there in white and black uniforms. You groan.

"Leave me alone..." you sob, coughing. The guys run over to you.

"Go get the others! Now!" a blonde-haired one commands. The other two nod and run off. "Hey, hey, you're okay."

"Please, don't hurt me," you whisper, shaking.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" He reaches out to touch you and you growl a little. "Hey, calm down."

"Don't touch me!"

"Please, calm down. You're gonna be okay," he insists. He picks you up off of the ground and you shriek. It hurts so badly...

"DON'T TOUCH ME, DAMM!T!" you shout, squirming in his grasp.

"You're alright! Calm down, please!"

"Let go of meeee!"

"Don't worry! I'm not going to hurt you!"

"No! Let go!" You start to cough uncontrollably.

"Hey, hey, calm down! You're gonna be alright!"

"Shut it! Shut your mouth! Let go of me! You're hurting me!"

The boy looks down at your broken and bruised body.

"Oh my gawd," he murmurs. "Okay, what's your name? How old are you?"

"You tell me!"

"Please, just try to cooperate."

"No, tell me your name and age, and I'll tell you mine."

"Fine, if you insist. My name is Roxas. I'm 17."

"I'm Mackenzie Harding. I'm 16 and a half."

"Alright, that's all I need to know." You start to cry without tears again. "Hey, hey, you're alright. We're going to help you, alright?"

"You're hurting me! Stop!" you shout, pulling the blanket around you tighter. Just then, the two other guys and the "others" came running down the stairs.

"She's the only one," a stout, brunette one says.

"Alright. Secure this place. We're going to have to come back later," Roxas says. He starts to walk up the stairs.

"W-where are you taking me?" you cry, coughing still. "PUT ME DOWN! LET GO OF ME!"

"I'm only trying to help you!" Roxas says.

"I don't care!" You choke on your coughs. "Please...just...put me down...you're hurting...me!"

"You'll be fine in a minute. We're getting you out of here."

"To where?"

"A hospital."

"Why?"

"You, you're _dying_!" he shouts, walking into a white and black van. He lays you on a table and covers you with another blanket.

"I don't want to die!" you shout, coughing. You wipe your mouth to see blood on your hand. How long have you been coughing up blood?

"You won't. You're not going to die," Roxas says, putting his hand on your forehead. You howl in pain. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Please, just don't touch me. I hurt all over..." You sniff a little. "I'm...going to die."

"No you're not, Mackenzie. We're going to help you."

"You can't. I'm...too far gone." You stifle another cough. "Look at me, damm!t! I'm going to die."

"Don't say that!"

"But it's true! I've been f*cked and beaten and starved and I've got hypothermia, I'm sure, so don't bother!"

"W-what?" Roxas looks at you, wide-eyed.

"I was raped. I was beaten. I've been starving to death for the past six months. In case you didn't notice, I have no clothes, only this damn blanket. I'm going to-!"

Roxas covers your mouth and you shriek again. He removes his hand quickly to find it covered with blood. "Holy..." he whispers. "How long...how long were you down there?"

Before you can answer, a voice calls, "Roxas, save those questions for the interview later on. Leave her alone for now."

"Thank you," you say, sniffling a little.

"Pence, I can always write it down-"

"Roxas, shut up," another voice says.

"Hayner, you shut up before I run up there and kick your scrawny-"

"Hey, all of you, cool it," a third voice says sternly.

"Screw you, Leon!" the two other guys and Roxas say in unison.

"HEY, SHUT UP!" a fourth voice shouts. They all are quiet.

roxas's pov

You arrive at the hospital a few minutes later. Mackenzie groans.

"Don't touch me again," she murmurs.

"No, I won't," you say. The back doors open and you wheel Mackenzie out of the van and into the hospital.

"I'm going to die..." she says.

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am. Don't argue with me. Let me win a struggle for once."

You blink, then shake your head slowly. How long had she been down there?

You wheel her into her room to find Aerith waiting for you.

"Oh, you guys weren't kidding," she murmurs when she sees Mackenzie. She walks over and picks Mackenzie up, and you cringe. You know what's coming. Sure enough, Mackenize lets out a howl of pain.

"PUT ME DOWN! STOP TOUCHING ME!" she cries, sobbing and coughing. Aerith quickly sets her down on the bed.

"We'll take it from here," she says, her eyes a little wide.

"Have fun," Cloud says sarcastically.

"Shut your mouth, ba$tard," Mackenzie mutters, eyes closed. She's shivering uncontrolably.

"You wanna try calling me that again?" Cloud asks in a threatening tone.

"Yeah. I said to shut your mouth, ba$tard." You bite your lip to keep from laughing.

Cloud fumes and Leon and Cid elid him out of the room. Pence and Hayner follow him. You stay behind.

"Be good," you say, looking at the broken girl before you. She opens her eyes.

"I don't remember how to," she whispers, grinning.

"Well, try."

"Okay. Maybe."

You chuckle and roll your eyes. Considering she's so beaten up, she certainly has what's left of her personality.

your pov

"Alright, what's your name, miss?" the young nurse asks you.

"Tell me yours first," you reply.

"I'm Aerith."

"I'm Mackenzie."

"Okay, Mackenzie, I'm going to give you an anesthetic. It'll make you sleep for a while. During that time, we'll get you stitched up and get some fluids into you."

"Why do I need an anestetic if that's all you're gonna do?"

"Well, it'll make things easier on us..." You smile.

"I know. You don't have to say it." You shift around a little. "Sorry for being a bitch."

"You have every right to be one. Don't be sorry."


	2. Chapter 2:  The Broken Doll

Chapter 2: The Broken Doll ((youtube: watch?v=xYyzn5D5GU8 ))

Memo: Mackenzie and Roxas kind of get to be friends this way. Omgee, Olette makes me laugh in this fic. She's such a little fireball. SWELLS! *kya*

two months later

roxas's pov

You walk inside the hospital to see Olette sitting at the receptionist's desk, as usual.

"Hey, Roxas," she says, not looking up from her paperwork.

"Olette, I'm visiting room-"

"It's Saturday. No visitors on Saturday."

"Aw, come on, Olette. You know I need to do this interview."

Olette sighs and looks up at you. "You owe me for this, ya know it?"

You smile. "I'll have Hayner get you something nice."

She then smiles and waves you away. You thank her and walk away to room 127. You step inside the tiny room to see Mackenzie lying on the bed, eyes closed.

"You're that boy," she says suddenly, opening her eyes. "Roxas..."

"Yeah, how'd you know?" you ask, stunned.

"I heard your footsteps. I recognized them."

"I see." You walk into the room and sit in a chair next to her bed. "How are you doing?"

"Better," she replies. She does look better. "I'm no longer a broken doll. But Aerith said I'd still have to do physical therapy."

"Well, at least you're alive," you say, grinning.

"Yeah, yeah, wipe the grin off of your face. Why're you really here?"

You frown and pull out a piece of paper and a pen.

"Gawd, you're gonna interview me now, aren't you?"

"Hey, at least we didn't make Cloud do it."

"Cloud?"

"The ba$tard."

"Oh. Him." She giggles, then coughs a little. "So shoot. I ain't getting any younger."

"Okay. I've got your name. And your age. What about your birthday, and where are you from?"

"Hollow Bastion...and...my birthday is December 29th...and that's when I got captured."

"Alright," you say, writing her answer down. "So you're from here, huh? Parent's names?"

"Susan and Lyle."

"Any siblings?"

"I had an older brother named Lea."

"Hm...eye color?"

"You look. I can't see my eyes, stupid."

You laugh a little and look. She has a point.

"I'd call them light green," you say, smirking.

"Hah. I'd forgotten what color they were."

"Hair is red."

"Yeah, you can tell that now that it's clean."

You nod. She has flaming red hair...kind of familiar.

"Okay, now they get harder. How long were you held captive?"

"Well...a year and a half total. The last six months were by myself. The man had a ton of food down there for me. But it didn't last."

"Not counting in this hospital, when was the last time you ate?"

"Probably a week or more before you came. I hadn't had water for four days. It hadn't rained in a while." You shudder a little.

"Did you ever find out your captor's name?"

"Nah. He never mentioned it." Mackenzie rubs her eyes. "He knew what he was doing."

"What all did he do to you?"

Mackenzie sighs a little. "Well, let's see. I was raped twice. Luckily, I'm fine from that. I was beaten with some sort of weapon...a claymore, maybe? And I was beaten with his fists... and basically anything he could get his hands on."

You grimace. No wonder she was in such bad shape. "But he fed you?"

"Yup. I actually ate pretty well, about normal."

"Alright...did he ever bring anyone with him?"

"Nope."

"Did you know why he would do those things?"

Mackenzie sighs again. A tear rolls down her cheek. "I guess. I thought about it a lot. He raped me because he's just a pedophile. And I think he would beat me when he would be upset about something. Which was a lot."

"Do you know where he went?"

"Nope. The last thing he said before he left was "Well, goodbye my little cherry blossom." And he raped me the second time before he left. Ba$tard. And if anyone ever calls me "cherry blossom" again, I will kick their f*cking ass."

"I-I see." You sit there, watching Mackenzie. "You know, you're not as tough as you seem. Covering everything up with swearing doesn't hide your real personality."

She looks up at you, startled. She stares at you, then starts to cry.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" You place your hand on hers and she shrieks. She pulls her hand away quickly, sobbing. "S-sorry! I forgot!" She continues to cry and eventually she slinks down under the scratchy hospital sheets so that only the top of her head is visible. "Mackenzie...Mackenzie?" She huffs and pulls the sheets away from her face. "You said something about a claymore?" She nods.

"I think that's what they're called..." She sniffs a little. "...You were right, Roxas. I'm not tough. I'm a wimp. And I'm a bitch."

"Don't say that. You're not a bitch."

"But it's true! You know it is!...I'm sorry. Please...just...go now."

You sigh through your nose. Although she is physically better, she's still just another broken doll on the inside. She can't remember hurt from help. Sad from happy. Bad from good.

"Okay," you say, standing. "Be good."

"I'll try, but I'm not making any promises."

You smile weakly and walk out of the room. A claymore...red hair...the eyes...all of those things seem so familiar.

your pov

You watch as Roxas leaves the room, disgruntled. You call for Aerith and she runs in.

"What's up, Mackenzie?" she asks.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to have visitors today," you say quietly.

"You aren't...oh, did Roxas come in for the interview?"

"Yeah."

"How was it?"

"Oh, let's see...he asked me really stupid questions, then really agonizing ones...and then he told me 'You know, you're not as tough as you seem.' Why would he say that to me? I oughta chase him down and kick his..." You stop yourself. Although Roxas was kind of insulting you, he was being honest. Which was nice. He wasn't treating you as if there was anything wrong with you. He treats you like a normal person. You haven't felt like a normal person in a long time.

"Mackenzie? You alright?"

"Mmhmm. I just need...to sleep."

"Okay then," Aerith says. "Pleasant dreams."

"I don't dream. I..."

Aerith stops in the doorway, waiting for your response.

"...I don't remember how."

"I...I see. Well, pleasant thoughts, then."

"That works," you murmur, laying your head down on your pillow.


	3. Chapter 3:  Oniisan

Chapter 3: Onii-san ((( youtube: watch?v=QlL6OA1-TDA))

Memo: Once again, this is just another chapter showing the bonds that form and have been there before.

a week later

roxas's pov

You walk into the hospital, holding a giant package. Olette looks up at you, raising her eyebrows.

"Olette..." you say.

"Roxas...what's that?" she asks.

"I can't tell you."

"How come?"

"You might not let me in otherwise."

"Roxas..."

"Please, Olette! I need to do this. This is crucial. I think I might've found out who she was-"

"Alright, alright! I'm not supposed to know personal matters, remember?"

"Okay, sorry."

You walk away and into Mackenzie's room. She's asleep.

"Mackenzie?" Her eyes flutter open. "I'm sorry to bother you, but...I...I need to ask you something really important."

"Okay," she murmurs, sitting up.

"I want to ask you if you recognize this." You hold out the package, and slowly, you unwrap a giant claymore. Mackenzie's eyes widen in horror.

"Oh my gawd! Oh my gawd!" She sits way up in her bed, as if she's trying to get away from you. "That was his! Oh my gawd!"

"Hey, calm down, okay?" you say, setting the claymore down. She sits there, eyeing you suspiciously, breathing hard. but in a minute or so she calms down. "Now, tell me about your brother."

"Well...his name's Lea. He looks just like me, with shorter hair."

your pov

You tell Roxas about your brother and notice he's writing something down.

"Keep going," he says, glancing up at you.

"Well, he's really sarcastic. He's older than me, in his twenties. And he loved fire. He always wanted to be a pyrotechnician. Oh! He had his own catchphrase, too. It was...got it...got it..."

"Got it memorized?" Roxas offers.

"Yeah!"

Roxas's face hardens. "Let me tell you about the Organization. It was made up of Nobodies; you know what those are, right?"

You nod. Lea had mentioned them before.

"Well, thirteen of them got together to...well, that part isn't important. But their names were made from their real names with an x added to them."

Roxas holds up the pad of paper. It reads:

Lea

Lea-x

Elax

Laxe

Axel

"Axel, your brother Lea, was a member of the Organization. He must've died right after you left, and he then joined the Organization."

"Where is he?"

"I...I hate to tell you, but...he's dead."

"WHAT?" you shout, tears coming to your eyes. Your eyes widen in disbelief. Your brother is dead? He was a part of the Organization? "He's dead?"

"Yeah...he was...my best friend..."

"So you were in it too!" Can he even be trusted?

"Yeah, and so was Saix."

"Huh? Who's Saix?"

Roxas lets out a sigh.

"Saix was...your kidnapper. He was a member of the Organization as well, barely outranking your brother. Axel was always suspicious of Saix, and...now I know part of the reason why..."

You suddenly feel a pang of sorrow for Roxas. He knew your brother. He was best friends with him. You pull your knees to your chest, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry, Roxas," you whisper.

"No, no, Mackenizie-"

"Please, call me Kenzie."

"...Kenzie, don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault."

You can't stop crying, though.

roxas's pov

You desperately wish there was something you could do for Kenzie. You sigh and gently rest your hand on hers.

"It's alright," you murmur. Then you blink in realization of something completely miraculous. "Kenzie..."

"...What?" she asks through her sobs.

"Kenzie, look down at your hand."

Kenzie looks down and gasps. Her eyes rest on your hand lying on her hand. Her bottom lip quivers a little.

"You alright, Kenzie?" you ask cautiously. Eyes wide, she slowly nods. Then her eyes close.

"I'm fine now," she whispers after a while, opening her eyes. You nod and remove your hand. Suddenly Aerith enters the room, smiling as always.

"Hello, Roxas," she says. "Um...what are you doing with that?" She points at the claymore.

"It's...a long story," you reply.

"Oh, okay." Aerith then turns to Kenzie. "Mackenzie, c'mon, you've gotta go to pt now."

"Noooo..." Kenzie groans, pulling the sheets over her head.

"Yeah, I know it sucks."

"What's pt?" you ask, but Aerith shakes her head, signifying not to ask. "Uh, never mind. I guess I'll go now. Goodbye, Aerith. Goodbye, Kenzie."

"Bye, Roxas," Aerith says, smiling.

"Later, tater," Kenzie says, appearing from under the covers, smiling as well. You grin and stand up, then walk out of the room.

As you walk down the hallway, holding the wrapped up claymore and your interview stuffs, you sigh heavily. Axel...was her brother...Saix was her captor... You shake your head. You were lucky. Somehow, connecting with Sora made you your own "you," so to speak. Namine had the same effect. Axel...he wasn't so lucky...

You walk outside into the fresh afternoon air. Kenzie... She was okay today...she didn't flinch. Maybe she's getting better...then again, maybe not. You think back to the expression on her face when she saw Lea changed to Axel. She looked horrified to know that her brother was dead. Still her parents might be alive...but that's unlikely. Most people around here either move away or die prematurely because of all the sadness. That's why you started this place. That...and for Namine...

your pov

You can't stop thinking about what you learned today. Lea...Axel...the same person... Axel hated Saix...Saix was your keeper. Roxas was in that whole mess too. How did all that happen?

"Mackenzie?" Yuffie asks, looking concerned. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," you say. "Are you almost done?"

"Mmhmm!" Yuffie taps her chin, then turns off the giant machine she's standing by. You've come to hate that thing... "So how are you doing? How are you feeling?"

"Alright."

"Well, your readings aren't as high today."

"What's the bad news?"

Yuffie sighs. "Well, it seems as though you're going to have to keep doing this for a while..."

You let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm gonna be stuck here forever, then."

"No."

You look up at Yuffie quickly. "What?"

"How does leaving in three weeks sound?"

Your eyes widen and your jaw drops. "NO WAY!" you squeal, jumping down from the table with wires still attached to you. "Am I really leaving soon?"

"Yup. But you'll have to come back every week."

"So?" Yuffie grins and starts removing wires. You don't feel the pain, though. You're too happy. Finally, you're getting out of here!

roxas's pov

Sitting down on the couch, you sip your hot chocolate.

*Axel,* you think, *did you know about your sister? If you can somehow hear me or something...your sister is okay. She has friends...and go figure, I think I'm one of them. We're taking care of her, Axel. She's going to be alright now.*

You smile to yourself. Kenzie is a lot nicer when she's not frail and sickly. But you noticed something. Kenzie told you to call her Kenzie, and yet Aerith called her Mackenzie still. Are you...special or something?


	4. Chapter 4:  Ice Cream!

Chapter 4: Ice Cream! ((youtube: watch?v=N2lPTj8rSBY))

Memo: Has anyone else noticed that the second Kingdom Hearts is revolved around ice cream and skateboarding? lol

two weeks later

your pov

You sit in bed, hitting the insides of your ankles together. One more week of this place.

Suddenly Roxas pokes his head in the door.

"Hey, Kenz-"

"ROXAS!" you shout, grinning. "Guess what? Guess what? HURRY UP AND GUESS!"

"Uh, I dunno. You won the lottery?"

"I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE IN A WEEK!"

Roxas smiles. "Really? That's awesome!" He walks over and sits on your bed.

"So what are you here for today?" you ask.

"Nothing, really. I just came to visit you."

You smile. Roxas is a pretty nice kid.

"Hello, Roxas," Aerith says, appearing in the side door. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Aerith," he says, nodding.

"I heard you, um, heard the news, huh?"

You giggle and shrug.

"Yeah."

"Well, feel free to do whatever, okay?"

"Uh, sure."

Aerith smiles and leaves the room. Roxas turns to you.

"She means I can leave my room now," you explain, looking at your nails. "I'm allowed to walk around and stuff." You look up at him. "You want to...?"

"Okay," he replies, nodding. You jump out of bed and follow Roxas out of the room.

"So, you even get to wear normal clothes now, huh?" he asks.

You sigh a little. "Well, sort of..." You tug on the sleeve of your long sleeve shirt. "Truth is...I'm...afraid to really wear...revealing stuff, y'know?"

Roxas nods. "That's understandable. But hey, it's an improvement, right?"

"Sure is!" You walk along the large hallway, looking out the even larger window. "Roxas, thank you for telling me about my brother. But...do you know anything about my parents? When I go home..."

"..." Roxas lowers his head. "I'm sorry, but...they're dead too."

"Oh." You sigh and shove your hands in your pockets.

"I'm sorry...your mom died of a stroke...your dad..."

"He...got pretty messed up then, didn't he?"

"...Yeah."

You bite your bottom lip. "So that means...I can't leave..." You swallow hard. And you were getting so excited for nothing...

"No, I can't let that happen, can I? There has to be another way...I've got it!" Roxas says, smiling.

"What is it?"

"Would...would you want to come live with me?"

"C-could I really?" you say, hope returning.

"Yeah, if that's okay."

"Wow! Sure!" You grin. "Thank you so much, Roxas!"

"Not a problem. Besides, this way I know you're staying out of trouble, right?"

You giggle. "Right."

roxas's pov

So Kenzie will be staying with you... It might be like having Namine at home again...but come to think of it, not really. Kenzie is different. Really different.

The two of you walk along the hallways, then come to a window. Outside, across the street, sits a small diner. A couple is eating ice cream, laughing about something. You glance over at Kenzie. She looks...really sad.

"I wish I could be normal," she whispers, turning away from the window and leaning against it.

"You will be again," you say. She crosses her arms. "I swear you will be."

"Not really, though," she mumers, glancing over at the couple, who are now just exchanging a kiss. "I'll always have those memories in my head."

"Well, that's true...but you don't have to let them control your heart."

Kenzie looks up at you and smiles sincerely. "You sound like a singer."

You laugh. "I try, I guess."

She laughs as well, then looks at her watch. "We should probably get going. Aerith will wonder where we went."

"Okay," you say. You both start to head back to her room when Kenzie laughs suddenly. "What? What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. I just had a random thought," Kenzie giggles. "Wanna hear it?"

"Sure."

"I really want some ice cream now!"

You both laugh, causing other patients to stare in amusement. "That's pretty random, but it could be worse."

"Really? How so?"

"You know Hayner? He's waaaay open. Really random guy."

Kenzie giggles softly. "Yuffie's pretty random, too. Actually, I think you're the only one who's not."

"Hah, well, you just keep on thinking that."

"Well, you have yet to prove me wrong."

"You hardly know me."

"On the contrary. I know you best. Better than Aerith or Yuffie."

You stop, shaking your head. "No you don't."

Kenzie cocks her head, startled. "What...?"

"It's nothing. A lot of crap having to do with your brother's Nobody and my former other."

"I-I see. Well, that'll change, I hope. Right?"

"...Right." No. You couldn't ever...tell her those things.

You finally reach Kenzie's room. Kenzie lies down on her bed, smirking.

"Do you have to leave now?" she asks.

"Do you want me to leave now?"

"No. I never get any visitors, so it's kind of nice."

You nod and sit down. "So, what all do you know about everyone?" you ask.

"Well, I found out Cloud is Aerith's fiance..." She giggles and smiles as if to say "whoops." You laugh. "And Leon and Yuffie are best friends, but not dating each other. Leon has some girl named Rinoa or something like that. Anyway, Hayner and Olette are dating. Pence is a part-time photographer...and you? You were the best friend of my brother's Nobody. So doesn't that make you a Nobody, too?"

"It should..."

"Explain?"

"Not now. I'll save it for another time."

"Aw, c'mon, please?"

"Seriously. Not today. I'll tell you about that when I tell you about Namine."

"Agh, you're torturing me. Now I know a name but no face to match it."

"Sorry... So, what else?"

"That's pretty much it. The only other thing I can really add is that Aerith and Yuffie are shopaholics." She smiles. "Yuffie promised to take me shopping sometime after I got out."

"Hey, that gives me an idea. Why don't we have a party?" you suggest, grinning.

"Did someone say party?" a voice asks. Hayner enters the room, Pence following him.

"Yeah, how about it?" you say.

"A party for what?" Pence asks.

"For me getting out of here," Kenzie replies, smiling.

"Hey, you look way better now," Hayner says, smiling back. He walks over and places a hand on Kenzie's shoulder. She yelps and pulls away. "Maybe not!"

"Sorry," she says, frowning.

"Nah, that's okay. You'll get better! Yuffie and Aerith are the best." He gives her a thumbs-up.

"Yes we are!" Yuffie shouts, entering the room. Aerith follows her in, looking amused. "So party, I heard? Sounds good. Mackenzie, me and Aerith'll have to take you shopping!"

"Cool," Kenzie says, smiling again.

"Let's have at our place," Aerith says. "It's big enough to hold everybody."

"With plenty of elbow room!" Yuffie exclaims, giggling. Everyone nods. "Then it's decided. Mackenzie, after you get out, you're comin' with me and Aerith for a shopping trip. Everyone else, meet us at our place on Sunday at, oh, say..."

"Eight?" Aerith says.

"EIGHT!" Yuffie cries, throwing an arm around Aerith's shoulders. Everyone laughs and, one by one, exit the room.

"I probably ought to go," you say, smiling. Kenzie nods understandingly. "But before I do, I have one question: why am I the only one who calls you Kenzie?"

"Oh," Kenzie says, giggling. "Is that all? It's because that's what Lea called me. Got it memorized?"

You laugh, nodding. She sounded just a bit like Axel when she said that.

"_Roxas. All right. Fight fight fight_._ Talk about blank with a capital B. Got it memorized?_"

You hear Axel's words in jumbles of phrases.

"Roxas? You okay?"

You open your eyes to see Kenzie looking worried.

"Did I freak you out with the catchphrase? Sorry."

"No, no, it's okay. Not your fault."

"Well, see you next week at the party, okay?"

"Okay. Bye Kenzie."

"Bye Roxas."

your pov

You watch as Roxas leaves the room, shaking his head. It's true; you really didn't mean to freak him out with the catchphrase. It just kind of popped into your head. Then again, Roxas is kind of strange. He won't tell you some stuff that you're DYING to know. You figure, though, that when you move in, he'll tell you everything. If he doesn't, well, you'll make him!

You find it a little freaky. You're going to move into Roxas's house. But...it doesn't seem so scary the more you think about it. Roxas pretty much knew your brother, he's a lot like your brother in some ways...and he's nice...and, strangely, he's the only one who has touched you and you didn't flinch. It feels...right...


	5. Chapter 5:  Shopping and a Party

Chapter 5: Shopping and a Party? Sounds Good to Me! ((youtube: watch?v=-TfMylKXUiw ))

Memo: YESSSSSSS! lol I miss my wh class T_T wth is up, yo? lol

a week later

your pov

You pull your hair out of your face and throw it over your shoulders. In only a few hours, you'll be out of here! Gone! Just like that! YEAH!

"Kenzie?"

"ROXAS!" you shout, jumping out of bed. "Roxas!" You hesistate, then quickly grin and grab his arm. "I'm leaving!"

"I know, I know," he says, laughing. "Where are Yuffie and Aerith?"

"Here we are!" Yuffie cries, putting on her coat. "Mackenzie, ready to go shopping?"

"Of course!" you reply, running over to them.

"Well, we'll see you later, Roxas, okay?" Aerith says, smiling. He nods, and, still smiling, waves goodbye. Aerith and Yuffie pull you away. You manage to look at Roxas one more time before leaving. You know, you never noticed before...his eyes are really stunning.

"C'mon, Mackenzie," Yuffie says, grinning brightly. "This place is awesome. I can't wait. I saw this awesome strapless dress-"

"Whoa, whoa, wait. Strapless?" you say, stopping in your tracks. "Strapless? I-I can barely wear short sleeves!"

"Aw, you're right," Yuffie pouts.

"Well, we'll buy it for later," Aerith says, nodding. "One day you'll be able to wear anything you want and not give it a second thought."

"And, trust us, it's great. And so is your progress. You'll be back to you in no time."

"..." You don't bother mentioning to them that you can't simply erase memories. "Okay, if you say so."

"GREAT!" Yuffie shouts, opening the door to the store (hey that rhymed!). "Let's get started!"

A Couple of Hours Later

roxas's pov

You sit on the back of a chair in Aerith and Cloud's house. They have the bigger house, so, naturally, everything fun is held here.

"So, Roxas, I heard through the chain that the girl is staying with you," Leon says, taking a sip of his coffee. He drinks it constantly.

"Yeah, Ken...er...Mackenzie is staying with me, at least, until she wants to move out," you reply.

"Hah! Like she'll want to," Pence says, going through some photo work.

"What do you mean by that?"

"She totally digs you, man," Hayner says, laughing.

"That's retarded. First, never say 'digs' in that way again. Second, she can't even act normally still. She even told me herself."

"Exactly. You're the one she tells everything to. And didn't you notice you're one of the few she'll actually touch at all?" Pence points out.

"Yeah, okay, that's true. But you didn't even hear what she said. She knows she's not normal. And she knows she'll never get rid of those memories."

"So? Dude, from the sound of it, it sounds like _you_ kinda like _her_."

"That's not true!" you shout, jumping out of the chair. "You know why I even started this in the first place! Don't even TRY that with me, Hayner!"

"Alright, alright! We're getting off the subject now; you happy?"

"What subject?"

You turn around to see Yuffie and Aerith in the doorway.

"Come on, Mackenzie, you look pretty," Yuffie insists.

"Oh my gosh, could you embarrass me any more, Yuffie?" Kenzie's voice says from the doorway.

"Yes," she replies, grinning.

"For real," Aerith adds, pulling Kenzie out from behind her. She stumbles into the room and looks up and around at everybody. Yuffie wasn't lying; she does look kind of pretty. But still conservative.

"Hey," she says quietly, looking around at everyone.

"Hey," everyone says.

"PARTY!"

You all look around to see Cid and Cloud running through the doorway. Cloud bumps into Kenzie.

"Ba$tard," she mumbles under her breath, sitting next to you.

"Hey, Kenzie," you say.

"Hello," she says, breathing out sharply.

"Why are you so nervous?"

"I dunno. I'm weird, or have you not figured that out yet?"

You laugh a little. "Well, we can leave whenever you want. Where's your stuff?"

"Oh, you mean my closet in twenty bags? Ask Aerith and Yuffie."

You nod and walk over to Aerith and Yuffie.

"I suppose you want her stuff, huh?" Yuffie says, grinning.

"That would be nice," you reply, smiling.

"Well, while I go get that, Ae-chan, why don't you tell him the other stuff he needs to know."

Yuffie leaves. You cock your head.

"Oh yeah. Roxas, as you know, Mackenzie is still going to go through treatment for at least three more months. And unless she makes rapid progression, it will be, like I said, at the least, three months. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you can bring her over around nine am for pt."

"'Pt'?"

"Physical therapy."

"What about her emotional state?"

"That's why we're _letting_ you take care of her. You seem to be the only one she fully trusts. Me and Yuffie can't help her anymore in that category. But you can."

"I can?"

"I believe so. Just...be good to her. Treat her like you would treat a good friend." You smirk, and she realizes that your close friends are Hayner and Pence and Olette... "Well, maybe that's not the best analogy. Treat like you would treat..."

"...Like I would treat Namine," you say quietly.

"Yes, like that. That would be good." Aerith lowers her voice. "She doesn't believe she's normal. Try to tell her otherwise."

"Here you go, Roxas!" Yuffie says, returning with the...twenty bags of clothes. "Sorry that took so long. Hey, at least you won't have to go shopping with her, right?"

You laugh. "Right!"

"See you, and good luck."

You nod through the cumbersome load of clothes, and you carry them over to Kenzie.

your pov

You giggle a little as Roxas sets down the twenty bags of clothes.

"You weren't kidding," he says, chuckling.

"Of course not. Have I ever?" you reply, smiling.

"Uhhh, I'm thinking no."

"Hah, of course. That's because I know better."

"MACKENZIE!"

You turn around to see Hayner and Pence waving you over.

"Oh gosh," you say, jumping up.

"Er, maybe you shouldn't..."

"What was that, Roxas?" you ask.

"N-nothing. Just go ahead."

You nod, unsure of what to say. Walking over to Hayner and Pence, you straighten out your shirt and brush off your leggings.

"What's up?" you ask.

"We wanted to ask you something," Pence says.

"Shoot."

"Do you like Roxas?"

"As a friend? Of course."

"Ugh, naive," Hayner says, shaking his head.

"Oh, you mean like more than friends?" This time it's your turn to shake your head. "I wish you wouldn't ask me things like that. If you're going to tease me about my instability, then do it behind my back, please."

"We're totally serious. We wanna know."

"No."

"Eh?"

"No, that's my answer. I don't like him any more than a friend. I don't know if I can even feel that anymore. But I certainly like him better than I like you two."

You walk away quickly from Hayner and Pence, but before you could go talk to Roxas again, a girl about your age stops you.

"Are Hayner and Pence giving you a hard time?" she asks. "By the way, I'm Olette."

"Oh, um, nice to meet you," you say. "And, well, not really. They're just trying to tease me."

"Are you sure? Because I could get at least Hayner to leave you alone."

"Oh, um, then go ahead."

"No problem. I'll see you around, Mackenzie."

Olette waves and stomps over to Hayner. She tells him something, and you see him blush.

She's got him whipped...


	6. Chapter 6:  Trapped on the Right Track

Chapter 6: Trapped on the Right Track

Memo: I LOVE THAT SONG! "Indecision motivation obligation EXPLOITATION!" XD

After the Party

your pov

"It's not much farther," Roxas assures you for the fourth time as you walk along the darkened streets of Hollow Bastion. "Promise."

"That doesn't change the fact that it's dark and we're alone," you say, cringing at the very thought. You've already been abducted once, so you don't want to deal with that again.

"Hey, I have a cell phone on me-as _well _as a pager-that's on at all times. Don't worry."

"...Do you really?"

Roxas nods, pulling out a small, silver phone from his back pocket.

"It's a requirement for everyone at the hospital to have one," he explains, leading you up a small flight of stairs. "Everyone's numbers are in there."

Flipping it open, you feel like calling your home...or a friend...but you can't remember anyone's number.

"Hmm...maybe I should get you one," he adds, unlocking the front door.

"You should," you say, grinning. "But I don't have many people to call."

"Exactly," he says, grinning back at you. "Well, c'mon, unless you WANT to stand out here in the dark all night."

You hurry inside, shivering at the thought. The light turns on, revealing-in short-a true bachelor's pad. It's obvious that only Roxas lives here. Well...that's about to change. Hah.

"Keep walking," he urges you, still standing in the doorway. Tip-toeing forward, you look around a little closer.

It's not anything to marvel about at all. Well, what were you expecting? He probably barely makes enough munny to support himself, let alone interior decorate his townhouse.

The room you're standing in now is a living room sort of thing, with a tv and a couple of nightstands and a coffee table. It's a very rustic setting, but something about it is...warm. Secure.

"C'mon, let's take your stuff to your room," Roxas says, startling you out of your thoughts. Nodding, you follow him past a small kitchen and down the hall to a room.

Alright, you're lying about what you said before. This room is a girlier room. Possibly the only girly room in the whole house. Was this possibly Namine's room?

"Sorry it's not much," he says quietly, setting your bags down on the light blue sheets.

"It's alright," you assure him, mustering up a smile. "Honestly, I'd rather it be cozier...large spaces are weird..." When Roxas gives you a funny look, you laugh a little. Bad word choice. "I mean, like...lonely."

"Ah," he says, nodding once.

BZZ BZZ! BZZ BZZ!

"Yeeek!" you scream as Roxas's phone vibrates against your hand. Oops...you had totally forgotten you still had it!

"Here, I'll get it," he says, grinning as he takes his phone out of your grasp. "Hello? ...What are you, my mom?"

You laugh quietly at his response to a question you couldn't hear.

"Yeah, I know I don't have one...Okay, okay, point taken. Now why are you calling me, Hayner? ...What? Uh, okay..."

Roxas holds out the phone to you, and you look at him with curiousity.

"He said he wanted to talk to you," Roxas elaborates.

Hesitantly, you take the phone back.

"Hello?" you say in a soft voice.

"Mackenzie, hon, you're going to have to speak louder than that. I have old people ears," Hayner replies in an obnoxiously loud voice.

"What is it?" you speak a little louder.

"Better." He clears his throat as if he has something truly important to say. "We looked your name up in the Hollow Bastion bank records and it says you have over 400,300 munny saved up since you last withdrew or deposited anything. I'm picking it up on Friday. How much do you want?"

"...?"

"Well?"

"...Hold on. Let me think."

Holy cow! You had no-o idea you had that much leftover from your savings account! Hmmm...idea!

"Roxas, do you mind leaving the room for a moment?" you ask politely. He stares at you, then at the phone, then back at you.

"Fine," he finally answers, walking away and closing the door behind him.

"Leave 300 of it in there, but withdraw the 400,000," you whisper hurriedly into the phone.

"Okay-"

"Hayner, there's something else," you add before he can hang up.

"What?"

"You can't let Roxas know anything about this."

"I kind of have to."

Damn! There goes that plan.

"Well, at least, the fact that you have a savings account. I don't have to tell him how much you keep in or withdraw, because that's a bunch of legal information."

"Ah! Yes!" you cry, punching the air.

"Why, what are you planning to do?" he asks with intense curiousity.

"Remodel," you say with a grin, and with that, you end the conversation.

roxas's pov

"O-kay, you can come in now," Kenzie says cheerfully, handing you your phone.

"What was that about?" you ask suspiciously.

"Aw, nothing. Hayner was just being a royal pain again and I didn't want you to get all upset and try to interfere as I made him feel guilty for picking on me," she replies in one breath.

"...Oh."

Does she really think you're that dumb? There's something else going on here, but there's no way you'll find out that easily. So, for now, you have no choice but to play along.

"Well..." You glance at the clock on the wall. It reads...something past 11. "Are you tired? It's kind of drafty in here. Do you need extra blankets or anything?"

"Um, I think I'm alright," she replies. "...Can I take a shower?"

"I don't care," you reply, shrugging. "I'll take one in the morning." You'll likely be up for another couple of hours.

"Thanks."

Kenzie really...isn't that much like Axel after all. For one thing, she's a lot more polite and reserved. Axel would've said something along the lines of "I'mtakingashower, hah! Beat you to it!"

He and Kenzie may have the same eye and hair color, and they may both be extremely skinny, but Kenzie is much, much different.

"Um? Roxas?"

"Uh, yeah? Sorry, I'll leave. Sorry."

After your completely pointless muttering, you walk out of the room.

"Wait, Roxas!"

Freezing mid-step, you hear Kenzie soft voice call out again.

"Ummm, where are the towels, and where's the bathroom?"

your pov

*Hmmm...what a quaint little place,* you think, tossing your wet hair over your bony shoulders. *Maybe with a makeover it'll seem brighter.*

Still, you don't think it's just the interior decoration that's keeping the townhouse gloomy.

*He's keeping something from me... I don't like that,* you decide, patting your face with a towel. *Who is Namine? She must've been really important to Roxas. It was probably his girlfriend. Was? Or is? Is she still his girlfriend? Hmm...is he taken or not?*

Your heart skips a beat.

*Wh-why did I just ask myself that?* you wonder, your face as red as your hair in your mirror's reflection. *Ah, well, it doesn't matter. Roxas saved my life, and he's like my brother now instead of Lea...Axel. That's about it.*

With a large yawn, you open the bathroom door and tiptoe to your room two doors down. Glancing down the hallway, you see Roxas sitting on the couch, staring at his cell phone, which is lying on the table. What is he waiting for?

Well, duh. That's a dumb question. Someone is going to call him, possibly. Who is he waiting on, though? Hopefully not Hayner.

You have until Friday-it's Sunday-to come up with a way to get Roxas out of the house all day Saturday. It shouldn't be too hard. Of course, you'll need to make some phone calls, but that's easy. The hard part is convincing him to take some time off to...to go out and...yeah.

And that's what you haven't decided yet.

Honestly, you're not that creative! You're more of a problem solver than anything else. Math games, puzzles, and anything else you can get your hands on...you rock!

You're not a social butterfly. The few friends you had didn't even hang out that much with people, either. You never called them. That's probably why you can't remember their phone numbers.

But you have new friends. Yuffie, Aerith, Roxas, and-surprisingly-Hayner, Pence, and Olette will probably all be people you call frequently. Especially Yuffie. There's something about that girl that makes you smile.

Sitting on your new bed, you stretch out your pajama-covered legs and arms, making your body like a big "x."

X...

Axel, Roxas...

So, if Roxas was a Nobody, who was his other?

Lessee...you're a problem solver! You might be able to figure out a likely name or two.

Hmmm...

Roas.

Oars...hah! That's funny, but probably not a name.

Soar. Once again, probably not a name, but amusing!

Aros...Rosa...no, that's a girl's name!

Saro...Asor...Raso...Oras...Osar...none of those sound quite right, either.

Saor...Sora...Sora? Is that a name? It could be, couldn't it?

Wellllll, for now, it's the only one you've got. His other's name was probably Sora.

...

...

...Unless it was Rosa.


	7. Chapter 7:  Aerith sure is an enigma

Chapter 7: Aerith sure is an enigma, isn't she? ((youtube: watch?v=kBZLUEZJNz8))

memo: "Do you mean WEIRD?" meow. XD tis a quote from the manga. enjoy!

Monday

your pov

You wake up that next morning to a knock on your door. ...Erm...can you call it "your" door? Well, maybe, since you are residing here now...

"Hey, you awake yet?" Roxas's voice says through your door. "Don't you have physical therapy or something today?"

"Ah, yeah, hold on. I'll be ready soon." You glance at the clock on the wall...What? It's already eight-thirty? You still have to eat breakfast and get dressed and ahh! Good thing you took a shower last night!

Digging through your bags of clothes, you manage to find a pair of jeans and a blue, long-sleeved shirt, clean undergarments, and after changing, you bolt out the door to the kitchen. Breakfast is already waiting for you.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Roxas asks sleepily.

"Because we have to be there at nine!" you cry, scarfing down toast and eggs.

"Nine? I thought it was nine-thirty!" he says.

"_No!"_

With great agility for someone who just woke up, Roxas jumps off of his chair and into his bedroom...or maybe his bathroom? Eh, who knows. The only things you know about this townhouse are your room, your bathroom, and the kitchen and living room. Rock on.

In about three minutes, you're done with breakfast, and Roxas is out of the bathroom at the same time. Yay, eight-forty! You'll actually be on time now. It takes about fifteen minutes to walk from his house to the hospital, so you're golden.

"So, do you not have a car, Roxas?" you ask as politely as you can. It's obvious he has little munny.

"No, I was going to buy one...but..." He sighs, locking the door behind you. "Well, some...expenses came up...and I basically was left with no munny for about a week. But it's alright now. I'm back up to where I was savings-wise. But...ahhh...I dunno what I'm gonna do now."

You can tell he wanted to add "with you here."

"Can't I get a job somewhere?" you suggest.

"You don't need to do that."

"But, Roxas-"

"Kenzie, it's okay. I swear. It's not that bad." He shrugs, smirking a little. "Builds character, right?"

You don't say anything in reply to that. He's still hiding something, and you'd bet your savings it's about Namine. What's so special about her and him anyway? They must've been best friends, or maybe they went through a lot together. And now she's gone? Did she die?

"You're not going to answer me?" he suddenly asks, ripping you away from your thoughts.

"...I just can't imagine living like you do for so long," you reply honestly.

"Hah. Ready to move out already?"

"I have no munny," you remind him, ignoring the fact that you're actually quite wealthy.

"That's true."

"See? I need a job."

"So you can get away?"

"...Well..."

"Hah, it's okay. I'm only teasing you." He sighs, stretching out his arms, a funny grin on his face. You know, he dresses nicely, despite his low income. "I understand wanting to be out on your own. Trust me."

"Why, were you the same way?"

The funny grin goes away quickly. "In a way, I guess."

Could he really be any more VAGUE? You want to ask him more, but not only are you afraid, but the hospital is in view. There's not enough time...you'll have to wait for some real answers to your questions.

"Well, there's Aerith," Roxas says finally, nodding toward the tall brunette nurse. "I'll see you in an hour or so, right?"

When you nod, he nods back and walks away.

*What is going on in that spiky head of yours, Roxas?* you wonder, walking toward Aerith.

An hour later

roxas's pov

When Kenzie finally walks back out to the waiting room, you stand up and stretch a little. Sitting there with no one to talk to is mental torture. You hate it.

"Hello," she says, smiling. She's _much_ more polite than Axel... Actually, she's more polite than any of your female friends.

"Hey," you say, shoving your hands into your jacket's pockets. You're about to leave when you see Aerith walk out.

"Good morning, Roxas," she greets cheerfully. Okay, maybe SHE'S more polite than Kenzie, but still.

"Hello," you sigh. "Hey, do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, but..."

Aerith glances at Kenzie, who is waiting there patiently. She tilts her head slightly as if to say "are we going home now?".

"Hey, Kenzie, do you mind waiting a little bit?" you ask her. She shrugs.

"That's fine," she replies.

"Thanks."

Turning your back to her, you whisper now to Aerith.

"So, what exactly are you doing here?" you ask her.

"What do you mean?" she inquires, raising her eyebrows.

"What are you doing to Kenzie here?"

Her face softens a bit. "Follow me."

You do. She leads you into a white room. It's not unlike any other room in the hospital, equipped with a bed and dresser and such things. But then she takes you back through a door, then through another door. You've never seen this part of the hospital, and frankly, it's scary. You don't ever think anything is scary. Heck, you've even been in the maternity ward here. Nothing scares you.

But this...this looks like a torture zone.

You're completely surrounded by machines and wires. It's hard to walk through here. In fact, you don't really WANT to walk through here.

It gets a little better when Aerith turns the lights on, but it gets louder. Everything starts whirring.

Most of the noise, you discover, is due to a printer, which is printing out some sort of graph or chart. What it's for, you can't tell, but you wonder if it has something to do with Kenzie.

"I know it looks freaky, but really, it's not," Aerith says, attending to the chart.

"What is this place?" you wonder out loud.

"It's the s.p.t. room. Severe physical therapy. It's for people like Mackenzie who have severe issues with sensitivity to human touch, and so on. All she does is sits here, we attach these wires to different parts of her body, and they "touch" her. It's all simulation." Aerith glances over the charts. "She's really improving, but..."

Sighing, she sets the chart down.

"She'll just never be the same, Roxas," she admits. "She was tortured...her mind is having a hard time telling her otherwise." She then smiles a bit. "That's why I thought it was a good idea for her to move in with you."

"Eh?"

"You both need it."

"Me? For what?"

"Don't act dumb." Aerith frowns slightly. "Namine isn't going to come back."

"Don't say that! It's not over until I find her!" you shout.

"Roxas, even if you _do _find her, I don't think she'll come back. Namine is...was...proud. I don't think that changed in a year."

"You don't know that," you growl under your breath. There's no way you're giving up, not after all this. You're determined to find her, alive...or...dead. Yes, you do have the obligation of taking care of Kenzie, but it's just a friendship, if that.

"Roxas, please, I'm begging you to be realistic."

You don't want to hear about "being realistic." "Being realistic" is why you're in this whole mess now.

"Roxas..."

"Enough," you say quietly, walking out of the room.

Kenzie is still waiting for you as you reenter the waiting room, but she's looking somewhere beyond you.

"Wh-who is that?" she asks you, nodding toward the person.

With a glance over your shoulder, you see a girl about Kenzie's age, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Oh, that's Emi," you say casually. "Her story is actually pretty similar to yours, but, unfortunately, she didn't have quite as easy of an ending." You sigh, dragging Kenzie away. "That's how you could've been. Emi has been estranged from her family and friends, she's pregnant, and she can't stand other people. Not just human touch, but their presence."

"..." Kenzie says nothing, but you know her mind must be racing with possibilities.

"C'mon, let's go home."

Tuesday

your pov

It was nice to actually sleep in some today. I mean, you didn't sleep until forever, like Roxas is doing, but you got to sleep in for a bit more than yesterday.

And since Roxas is still asleep, you decide it's investigation time. You're going to either find something fun to do, or you're going to figure out who Namine is!

The question is, where to start? Roxas's room would be ideal, but he's kind of in there right now. So that's not going to happen.

You don't think there's an attic in this townhouse, but it's worth a look.

Creeping up the stairs, you look straight ahead at an old, wooden door. Could it be...? This is too easy.

Placing your hand on the door handle, you twist your wrist just right, and the door stops. Locked. It _was_ too easy. Oh well.

Walking down the stairs as quietly as possible, you sit on the living room couch. It's old, but you can tell it was once a really nice elither couch. You can still barely smell the leather, mixed with cologne. It's...just a little bit comforting, honestly.

But the point is...now you have nothing to do. You're going to have to FIND something to do yourself. And that _will_ involve _some_ snooping...

The first "suspicious" thing your eyes fall upon is a closed cabinet. Hmmm...wonder what could be in there?

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but you're not as dumb as a fluffy mammalian creature. You're gonna open that cabinet! ...?

?

Seriously...that is not what you expected. All it is ...is puzzles and board games. They're all covered in dust... You have to wonder if Roxas really owned these, or if the people before him left them behind.

They probably belong to Roxas, though. All of the puzzles are either the really really hard 3-D kind, or are over 1000 pieces. You doubt a fourth grader had these.

...You really love puzzles, you know. Ooo, the temptation.

Well, why not? It's completely innocent. If Roxas gets mad, you can just tell him you were looking for something to do. Perfect, right? Right.

Grabbing the top box, you close the cabinet doors and place said box on the coffee table. ...Getting off track here, but this is really a coffee table! You can tell he must drink coffee a LOT, because there are stains all over the table.

Anyway, you brush the dust off of the top of the box. It's a 3-D puzzle of the Hollow Bastion clock tower. That's cool.

Three hours later

roxas's pov

It's one thing to wake up and hear slight noises from your living room, indicating another life form in your presence. It's another thing to walk into said living room and not see said life form until she says, "Good morning, Roxas." Which is what you did.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," Kenzie says, grinning a little.

"You're fine, it's alright," you assure her.

"So are you having breakfast or lunch?" she asks you suddenly.

"..." Haha, so funny. Just because SHE went to bed at a decent hour...

"Well?"

"Brunch," you reply gruffly, stifling a yawn. "How long have you been up?"

"Umm...since nine-ish," she answers.

It's then that you notice she's actually doing something to your coffee table. You can't help but look.

"Sorry! please don't be mad. I just wanted something to do," she insists, her cheeks flushing a bit.

"I don't care, Kenzie," you say, shrugging. You're just surprised that someone her age still LIKES this sort of stuff. You tell her this.

"Hah, well, I feel better when my mind is at work on something... I've just always been that way."

As she continues attaching the pieces of the base together, you start reconsidering a few things.

"...Maybe...you should get a job," you contemplate out loud. Kenzie's head perks up at this comment.

"Can I?"

"...Tell you what. You eat lunch now, and after we get done eating, we'll go looking."

"Yay!" Her face brightens... It seems familiar, but you know...it's only all in your head. That's all it ever was. "Thank you, Roxas!"

She stands up, like she's going to do something, but she pauses. Any normal person might've just hugged you without a second thought, but she...is different. Maybe Aerith was right. Maybe she never WILL be normal again. That's...not fair at all to her. For such a spirit to go to waste like this...it's cruel.

Slowly, Kenzie sits back down. She seems disappointed in herself.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs, looking away in shame.

"You shouldn't be," you say, but she doesn't reply.

That evening

roxas's pov

"I didn't think job-hunting would be so easy!" Kenzie says, laughing a little.

"Yeah...that's why I started my own business," you admit. That's partially true. You knew it would be hard to find a job during that...situation. You needed something that would be a lax schedule...so who could manage your job better than yourself?

"But don't come by asking for discounts or anything, okay?" she teases. "I don't think fast food restaurants like those sort of things..."

"Nope."

"...So what does _The Kokoro_ even mean?" she asks you.

"Who knows...probably something cheesy."

"Yeah..."

Really, her whole job obtaining process came by almost TOO easily. You walked into the SECOND place, asked for the manager, he was desperate, she interviewed, and bam. She got a job selling raw fish for low prices for 7 hours a day for 7.5 munny an hour for 4 days a week. That's not bad for a starting salary.

"So I work, what, one to eight tomorrow?" Kenzie checks, holding her uniform close to her chest.

"That's correct."

She makes a pleased humming noise, then holds out her uniform shirt in front of her.

"...This is short-sleeves," she declares. You glance at it. She's right. This is one of her challenges.

"Too late now," you point out.

"...I...I know," she admits, frowning. "I'll be okay, as long as I'm busy!" She sighs a little, a small smile on her face. "Besides...I guess I can't hide from it anymore, you know?"

"...I know."

Wednesday

your pov

"I have work in a half hour!" you announce loudly, making sure Roxas can hear you.

"Okay," he says through his bathroom door. "Do you need an escort?"

"No, I'll be okay." You lean closer to the door. "Are you seriously picking up a cell for me?"

"Yeah, you'll get it tonight, I promise."

"Okay, thank you."

Grabbing your work permit and such documents, you head outside into the cool, late fall air.

It's November already...seems like yesterday that you came to the hospital, but that was late July. Soon it will be Christmas time, then your birthday, then New Year's.

*It's a good thing I walked to school,* you realize, crossing a street. *I know this town inside and out.*

Those were the days...but walking to school was what got you abducted in the first place...

...

Suddenly you don't feel so safe anymore. The cool air is blowing on your bare arms. It feels funny. It's scaring you.

But...strangely? You feel like...hugging someone. For warmth. You try to imagine hugging your brother, but you can't. Your friends and your family that were left behind have also exited your memory. Almost all you can remember is pain, and blood, and darkness...

And then...Roxas, and your other new friends, even Cloud, come forward in your mind. You try to imagine hugging one of them.

*Roxas...*

He always looks so sad, even when he smiles. He could probably use a hug. Hugging him would probably feel warm and safe...like you remember your brother.

"Oh, I guess I'm almost there," you realize as you walk down the street. The pink, neon sign for _The Kokoro_ is still lit up, even in broad daylight. "Well, here goes!"

That night

still your pov

It's a wonder that you make it to the door of Roxas's townhouse without passing out. What a long day. Busy and kind of fun, but long. Your feet and legs are killing you!

But you have Saturday off. That's the most important thing that happened today.

You've got it all planned out in your mind. Friday, you and Aerith will convince Roxas to go to _Okami Beat_ on Saturday for a party celebrating your job. Then, while you're out that night, the renovators will come in. Also, during the day on Saturday, you'll be hanging out at Yuffie's place. It's all according to plan. Ooo, it makes you so excited just thinking about it!

Knocking on the door of the townhouse, you exhale slowly. Comfort only comes when Roxas opens the door and drags you inside.

"How are you?" he asks, shutting and locking the door behind you.

"Beat..." you admit, collapsing onto the couch. But then you jump up immediately. "Sorry. I just made your couch smell like fish."

Roxas laughs.

He laughed. A genuine laugh. That was a real smile. Huh.

"It's alright."

"I'm going to go take a shower," you state, trudging to your bathroom. And to think you have to do this all again tomorrow? Tomorrow is from ten to five. That isn't so bad. At least you'll get to sleep in for a fairly decent amount...ugh.

Saturday can't come soon enough.

Thursday

roxas's pov

"How are you?" you ask Kenzie as she, once again, trudges through the door.

"Alright, I guess," she replies.

"Well, hurry up and take a shower. I have something for you."

She smiles a smile that would better be described as a grimace.

"Stop spending munny on me," she insists.

"Oh be quiet. It's not your munny. When you get your paycheck, then you can decide how to spend _that_. Besides, I _know_ you'll like this."

As she walks away to the bathroom, you sit down and continue on the puzzle. This is still as hard as it was when you got it.

You're being impulsive again, you realize. What you'll do to make someone feel better about themselves...it's become ridiculous. You need to start caring about yourself. Caring too much about someone left you alone and with more sin than the Devil himself.

Something about Kenzie has struck you, though. Something is different about her, and not just her mental condition. Despite her struggles, you can tell she loves life. ...That's more than you could ever say about Namine.

*I'm not giving up on you, Namine. Don't you ever think that about me.*

"Okay, I'm out, now what's my surprise?"

Kenzie walks down the hallway in a short-sleeve purple shirt and ripped jeans.

...? She's actually, _willingly_, exposing skin...?

"How warm is it outside?" you ask her, abandoning the puzzle.

"Eh, decent. ...We might need jackets. I'll go grab mine."

Without another word, she runs to her room and comes out with a white jacket. You're in a long sleeve shirt anyway, so you don't bother.

"Hello, Roxas? You might need a jacket?"

"I'll be fine."

"Yeah, right, and then you'll complain about how cold it is," she says, flinging open the hall closet. "Trust me, I know how you guys work. I lived with Lea, remember? He'd pull the same thing with me."

She continues to rant on as she searches for a jacket.

"Here."

Tossing you a brown sport jacket, she shuts the closet door with her foot.

"Alright, let's go," you say. Kenzie nods, and together you depart from your house.

"So what are we doing?" she asks, trotting next you as you stride down the street.

"Doing something you said you wanted to do a long time ago," you answer.

"And that was?"

"You'll see."

She huffs a sigh of pure impatience.

"You _are_ like Lea," you tease her.

"Am not. I have SOME patience. I just don't like surprises." You notice she flips open her new phone to check the time. Another sigh, then she flips it shut with a loud "click." "And I'm hungry."

"I know."

You turn around the corner, and Kenzie gasps.

"No way...I can't believe you remembered this from forever ago!" she cries.

"Yeah, I can't either. But I thought of it yesterday." You nod toward the ice cream parlor. "C'mon, let's go."

"Why rush? Nobody'll be there. It _is_ November."

"So? It's always the season for ice cream."

With a stunning grin, Kenzie skips on ahead of you, her bright red hair bouncing in waves against her back.

After eating ice cream

your pov

"Thank you, Roxas," you say, feeling your cheeks redden a bit.

"It was nothing," he replies.

"..." You know, though...it was something.

"What's wrong?" he asks you as you look at the ground.

"...I'm happy," you say quietly, glancing up at Roxas. He tilts his head a little in confusion.

"Why is that bad?"

"It's not, really. I just..."

*I've just got to make myself do this,* you tell yourself.

With more of a tackle than intended, you hug Roxas tightly.

"Thank you," you repeat, inhaling deeply. It wasn't the couch that smelled of real leather. HE does. HE smells like cologne and leather. HE feels warm. He also feels...worn...and loved at the same time. Namine...?

*You were my only hope to begin with,* you want to say as his arms wrap around your waist. *I knew you would make me normal. Thank you.*

"It was no big deal," he murmurs.

*To me, it was.*


	8. Chapter 8:  Freaky

Chapter 8: Freaky ((youtube: watch?v=eNImWDpROpM))

Memo: AHHHH! ME GUSTA THIS SONG! :D Tis mucho brilliant! :D Oh man, okay, I'll shut up now.

Friday

roxas's pov

Walking to the hospital this morning was different than the past two times. Kenzie was quieter, less peppy. She seemed tired.

"Are you sure you're okay?" you ask for the third time as you arrive at the hospital.

"Yeah," she replies, still in a timid voice.

Opening the door for you, she mumbles a thanks and walks inside. Maybe she's sick. You _did_ give her ice cream in the middle of November on a cool evening...outdoors. Shoot, that'd be terrible... You were only trying to do something nice for her...!

"Good morning, Mackenzie!" Yuffie greets, her normal, cheerful self. Kenzie looks up, then finally grins. "Let's get started!"

Nodding, Kenzie walks away with Yuffie, who waves to you enthusiastically. You wave back, then sit in a chair.

"How are you doing today?" a voice asks a few minutes later.

You look up to see Aerith walk over and sit next to you. She smiles kindly, and you can't help but smile back. She's always been incredibly nice to you...would she still be that way if...she knew...?

"I'm fine, how about yourself?" you reply, leaning back in your chair.

"I'm fine as well. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about a few things."

You wonder what she has to say this time. More nagging, perhaps?

"We're throwing a get-together on Saturday," she starts out. You nod. "At Yuffie's...well, to start out. Then that night we're going to _Okami Beat_. You know, that dance club?"

"Yeah, I know," you say.

"Mackenzie wants to go."

"Fine."

"Are you going to go?" Before you can answers, Aerith continues. "You ought to. It would be fun. You need to de-stress, young man." She smiles brightly at you.

"I guess I don't care. But what about being on-call?"

"Only during the day, and you'll be at Yuffie's, which'll be closer to the hospital anyway. At night, our late-hour staff takes over, so you're covered."

"...I'm suspicious. Why do you want me to come so badly?"

"..." Aerith sighs, folding her arms across her chest. "Okay, fine. I'll be honest. I'm trying to set you up."

"Set me up? With who?"

Instead of answering, she stands up and walks away.

"Hey!"

You stand as well, and then you see her standing there with Yuffie and Kenzie.

Ah. Now you get it.

...WHAT?

Okay, wait, stop! She is in NO condition to be in any sort of relationship with anyone. And what about Namine? C'mon, let's think here. No. _No_.

You wouldn't care if you, like, went somewhere with her as a _friend_. You don't care. It's no big deal or anything. But you can't...you can't just switch gears like that. It's not gonna happen.

"Roxas."

You look to see Aerith again.

"It's n-"

"Roxas, look at her for a second," Aerith commands. You do; she's standing there smiling and talking with Yuffie. Big deal. "Is she NOT a different person after spending time with you? She's so happy now. It won't be much longer that she has to do this...especially with you around."

You glance at Aerith, but she doesn't look at you.

"I don't see what your problem is, Roxas. Why can't you just move on? Is Namine who you _really_ want? Face it...she's gone. I know those are harsh words for you to hear, but... Come on, be realistic! You always say that you believe in destiny. What if _this_ is destiny...?"

"..." You don't know what to say to her ranting. Might as well just hear her out, because arguing won't do anything.

"Roxas...she's beautiful. She's smart. She's really, really sweet and funny and fiery! She trusts you more than anyone else; it's become really obvious now. Only you can call her by a nickname. Only you can touch her and not make her flinch. Only you make her feel really safe. Why is that, do you think? _I'll_ tell you why. She loves you."

"...? How can you say that?" you say, looking Aerith straight in the eye.

"She does, though, you know it's true."

*This can't be happening to me,* you think, wishing you could go back on your offer. Just say no to letting her live with you. Say goodbye, probably forever.

*But what would've become of her, then...?* you wonder, looking at Kenzie. She's being pretty animated with Yuffie. *Ahh, what am I saying? I'm in no position to deal with something like this...*

"Give her a chance...that's all I'm asking," Aerith says, then walks away to talk to Yuffie and Kenzie.

"...Aerith!" you shout. She turns, and you unintentionally draw all their of their attentions. Oh well.

"Yes?" she mouths.

"...I'll be there," you say loudly. She grins, nodding. Yuffie hi-fives Kenzie.

...Is this all just a game...?

Saturday morning

your pov

This is so exciting. Finally, you get to pay him back for what he's done for you. At nine, the renovators are coming...they'll be gone by eleven. You won't be leaving _Okami Beat _until AT LEAST eleven-thirty, so it's perfect. The best part is Roxas's cluelessness. It's funny.

"Why are you so anxious to leave?" Roxas asks you as you scurry around, making sure everything is set.

"Because I can be," you tease. He seems unamused...but maybe because it's early for him. "Are you ready yet?"

"Yeah, give me two minutes," he replies, tying his shoes.

Luckily, you can afford two minutes, since you're up extra early in time for these people.

"Alright, let's go," Roxas says, less than two minutes later.

"Mmmhmm."

So, walking down the street to Yuffie's, you notice a huge truck drive by you.

"Dang, look at the size of that thing," Roxas mutters. "'HB Renovators', eh? Wonder who it's for...probably some rich family or something."

You want to laugh in his face. How funny is this?

"Looks like a lot of stuff," you say, playing along.

"They're kind of expensive, if I remember."

"Hmmm..." They weren't TOO bad, but they did have some really expensive stuff. Some of which you bought, of course.

"Is that what you're wearing tonight?" Roxas suddenly asks.

"Ah, this?" you say, looking down at your jeans and sweater. "No, Yuffie said she had stuff for me..."

"More clothes...?" he says slowly, eyes widening.

"To borrow, I think. I hope. I don't need anything else!" you admit, laughing a little. "Maybe I can donate some of it."

"We can take gently-used stuff at the hospital, you know," he points out.

"Okay."

Oooo, you want it to be tonight already! You want to see the look on his face when he walks in and everything is new! Except...that couch...

You couldn't get rid of that thing no matter how hard you tried. It's worn-in to the perfect level of comfortable-ness.

At Yuffie's

aerith's pov

"Here, try this on," Yuffie commands Mackenzie, who catches a purple, shimmery dress.

"I don't need any more clothes, you know..." she says, grimacing a little.

"Just try it on!" Yuffie stamps her foot. "I'll bet you look better in it than I do. You have boobs, after all."

Mackenzie's face turns the color of her hair.

"Try it, I want to see," you admit.

As she walks into the bathroom to change, you look at how much she's changed _inside_. If Roxas could just push past Namine and that whole ordeal, things would be better. You know it. You knew they'd bond, right from the very start. After all, her brother was his best friend.

"I know what you're thinking, Aerith," Yuffie says in a low voice. "And you know I agree."

Nodding, you watch Yuffie shovel through loads of clothes in search for something...who knows what.

"Maybe tonight will soften him a little," you think out loud.

"I hope so!" Yuffie whips her head around, rolling her eyes. "Namine is gone. I'd bet my insurance she's dead."

"I know...but only _he _can make himself move on."

"Ummm..."

The bathroom door opens, and Mackenzie walks out in the little purple dress.

"OH MY GAWSH MACKENZIE!" Yuffie squeals. "You look _smokin'_!"

"Do I...?" she asks quietly, turning a little. "...Hah, you're right, I guess."

"You're comfortable wearing that?" you ask, shocked. She nods a little, and it hits you soon after. She just wants to impress him. Either that, or she's come a long way, to be able to wear a super-low-cut, short-sleeved, short-length dress.

"I have shoes that'll look GREAT with that! You can have that, by the way. You look WAY better in it than I ever did," Yuffie chirps, once again digging through her closet.

Mackenzie, smiling a little, walks over to the full-length mirror and turns a little. Her cheeks redden a bit as her smile widens.

"You really do look very pretty," you tell her.

"Thank you," she murmurs, reddening again.

"Ah, we have like, a half hour left!" Yuffie cries, tossing Mackenzie the shoes and running into her bathroom herself. "Hurry and get ready!"

At the party

your pov

This...has been a little disappointing...

You thought you could buck up and go out there and dance with everyone, but here you are. Sitting on a chair, all by yourself.

"Hey!"

You look up to see Roxas, surrounded by Hayner and Pence.

"Come dance," Pence says.

"No thanks," you reply as a new song starts.

"Now don't you even act like you don't wanna get up," Roxas says, holding out his hand to you.

"Now don't you even act like you don't wanna get up," the song's singer sings. You can't help but laugh at the irony, and, catching you off guard, Roxas pulls you up and out onto the dance floor.

"C'mon, just dance," Hayner says.

"You'd better get out on the dance floor, show me what you got," the song continues.

"Dance," Pence, Hayner, and Roxas all say in unison.

Well...if you can't beat 'em...you might as well join 'em!

"'Cause I don't even want too much, just for y'all to understand a party ain't a party if I'm not in the party so I need to see some hands."

Finally, you "raise the roof," and every single one of your friends there (aka Roxas, Hayner, Pence, Olette, Yuffie, Aerith, Leon, Rinoa, even Cloud) cheers loudly. Hey, you weren't ALWAYS shy...

"All I really need to know is that you came to the party to enjoy yourself. You left your stress and your worries back at home on the shelf and let's get freaky hey oh. Freaky hey oh hey, freaky hey oh hey, freaky hey oh hey, freaky, freaky!"

roxas's pov

As you're dancing around the place with Yuffie and your other friends, you notice Hayner run up to you, breathless.

"Dude," he gasps, a dumb grin on his face.

"What's up?" you ask him.

"You're gonna hate me for sayin' this, but you and Mackenzie would work," he finally says.

"What are you talking about?"

"Go dance with her. We all know you like her."

"WHAT?" you shout over the chorus lines. "Who said that?"

"Nobody. But you two click."

"Hayner, I'm gonna kick your-"

"Just go dance with her, okay?"

Before you can give him your two cents worth, he shoves you over into a group of people, one of whom is a red-haired young woman, dancing like crazy.

"Helloooo," she says to you when she sees you.

Whoa.

"Make sure the DJ puts this song on and turn it up, and keep it movin' all night long till the sun come up," the song continues on as you and Kenzie dance together. "Oh oh oh oh! All I really need to know is that you came to the party to enjoy yourself. You left your stress and your worries back at home on the shelf and let's get freaky hey oh. Freaky hey oh hey, freaky hey oh hey, freaky hey oh hey, freaky, freaky!"

You know...she's not a bad dancer at all. Not one bit. But you can't help but say you're...extremely surprised.

"All I really need to know is that you came to the party to enjoy yourself. You left your stress and your worries back at home on the shelf and let's get freaky hey oh. Freaky hey oh hey, freaky hey oh hey, freaky hey oh hey, freaky, freaky. And let's get freaky hey oh hey, freaky hey oh hey, freaky hey oh hey, freaky, freaky..."

"Well, that was the most fun I've had in a while," Kenzie says, tossing her hair over her shoulders. "How about you?"

"Uh, yeah," you answer, still trying to slow down your spinning head. Dizzy...

"That wasn't convincing at all," she says through the DJ's voice, frowning a little. Suddenly a new song starts, and you notice everyone around you splitting up into couples. "Ah, well, see you later."

And with that, Kenzie walks past you and out of sight.

"Get over here!" someone says, grabbing your arm roughly. You're expecting to see maybe Yuffie, but to your surprise, it's Pence.

"Oh, hey," you say as he drags you to the side.

"What are you doing?" he asks you.

"What do you mean? You're the one who dragged me over here," you point out.

"Arrrgh, Roxas...man, look over there." Pence nods over at the opposite wall. "Look at her."

"Who?"

A hand meets contact with your head. "C'mon, man! _Her_!"

"...?"

Scanning the wall, you're looking for anyone familiar when you see what Pence is talking about.

"...Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh' is right."

Kenzie is sitting right back where she was observing the other couples dancing. She's looks...incredibly lonely. Heaving a big sigh, she elins back in her chair, arms folded across her chest tightly.

"Look, man, I know you're set on Namine, and if that's what you want, okay," Pence says. "But just go dance with her? One song? It doesn't have to mean anything if you don't even want it to. Your job is to make her feel better about herself...and right now, you're kind of failing at it."

You sigh.

"You're right. ...Alright, you win. I'll dance with her on the next song. ...But, hey, won't you be alone then?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm waiting for you to go out there so I can go to the bathroom!"

Instantly you feel better with that little bit of crude, random humor. Laughing, you shake your head slowly.

"Alright, alright, I'll relieve you of your discomfort. Go on ahead. I'll go talk to her."

"Good luck, soldier!" Pence says, saluting quickly, then sprinting away.

Once he is completely out of sight, you make your way slowly around the dance floor. The heart that you stole is pounding in your chest. She's not too far now...

Whoa, wait a second. Why does this even matter? It doesn't. You're just being nice...you're just doing your job.


	9. Chapter 9:  Trust me, I know

Chapter 9: "Trust me, I know." ((youtube: watch?v=CNqFWFSMAhk))

me: Godspeed, Joshua. Godspeed. :3 You make my day, Mr. Nurse. XD Oh-kay, so this is just carrying on from where I left you off, so go ahead and read without further ado...

your pov

"Hey," a voice says, dragging you out of your thoughts. Ah, and you were in such a pleasant place...

"Hello, Roxas," you say, looking up at him in the dim light. He's very handsome tonight. "Who ditched you?"

"Pence..."

"...What?" you say, making a disgusted face.

"Haha, no no! Not like that!" Roxas waves his hands as if to say "not guilty!". "He and I were just talking."

"Oh, I see. I feel better now."

The two of you just kind of rest there in silence for a moment. You don't like it. You could cut the tension with a knife, and it's bugging you.

"Why are you just sitting here?" Roxas suddenly asks you.

"Why are you just standing there?" you reply hastily.

"I'm seeing why you're just sitting here when you could be enjoying yourself."

Ooo, he got you there. Letting out a sigh, you finally answer him.

"Because...because I have no one to dance with, and I don't even know how to 'slow dance' anyway," you admit quietly.

"It's not really dancing," he says. "If you want, I could show you."

You practically can feel your heart beating out of your chest.

"C'mon, it's nothing," he insists, holding out his hand to you.

Barely hesitating, you take his hand, and together you cross the dance floor. Ugh...you still feel out of place, what with all the couples.

"Just put your arms here," he says, placing your arms around his neck. *OMG.* "Geez, you don't have to stand so far away, Kenzie."

"Sorry," you murmur, feeling your ears turn red.

"You're fine," he murmurs back, easing you closer to him by wrapping his arms around your waist and pushing on your lower back.

The last song stops, and a new song begins. Neither of you are saying anything yet, so it gives you a chance to listen to the lyrics.

"Closed off from love, I didn't need the pain," the song begins. Funny...the voice sounds familiar. "Once or twice was enough, and it was all in vain. Time starts to pass before you know it you're frozen-"

"You look really nice tonight," Roxas suddenly murmurs.

"Um, thank you, but it's Yuffie's doing," you say quietly. Is he just now noticing? Or is he just now giving you a compliment?

roxas's pov

*Hate to say it, but I don't think Yuffie had too much to do with this,* you think, looking at Kenzie's face. She has...very dainty facial features. Small nose; small, long-lashed eyes; a pretty face; and perfectly-sized, reddish-pink lips.

You don't know what else to say to her, so you just listen to the music.

"Oh, but something happened for the very first time with you. My heart was melted to the ground found something true, and everyone's looking round thinking I'm going crazy, baby. But I don't care what they say. I'm in love with you. They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth. My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing. You cut me open and I-I keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love-"

"You know what?" Kenzie murmurs suddenly.

"What?"

"This is the same person who sang that song you guys made me dance to," she points out.

"Huh...it is, isn't it?" you say.

"You know what else?"

"What?"

"...He kind of sounds like you."

Surprised by that comment, you listen once again to the song.

"...I keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love. You cut me open...Trying hard not to hear, but they talk so loud. Their piercing sounds fill my ears, try to fill me with doubt. Yet I know that the goal is to keep me from falling, ohh...Oh, but nothing's greater than the rush that comes with your embrace, and in this world of loneliness I see your face. Yet everyone around me thinks that I'm going crazy, maybe."

"...You're right," you finally mumble. "But it's not me, I swear."

Kenzie giggles quietly. "I know."

"...Come to think of it, I don't have any musical talent."

"Me neither."

Once again, it's quiet between the two of you.

"You cut me open and I-I keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love. I keep bleeding, I keep, keep bleeding love. I keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love. You cut me open, and it's draining all of me. Oh they find it hard to believe. I'll be wearing these scars for everyone to see..."

*Maybe they're right,* you finally wonder. *I can't hide forever. Someday, someone's going to find out the truth about what happened that night. Maybe it would be better if I just move on.*

"'Cause I don't care what they say, I'm in love with you. They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth. My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing. Oh, you cut me open and I..."

"Roxas?"

"Hunh?"

your pov

"You stopped..." you whisper, looking him straight in the eyes. That is a very hard feat to accomplish, seeing how beautiful his eyes are...it makes you feel unworthy!

"...Oh..."

"...You look so...sad. You always look so sad..." Maybe...he'll tell you. "...Why?"

"..." With a hard swallow, he looks away from you a little. Oh my gosh...he looks ready to _cry_!

"I'm sorry!" you cry. "I didn't mean-"

"It's alright. I promise, it's alright."

"But I-!"

Cutting you off mid-sentence, Roxas puts a finger to your lips.

"Shh."

Oh. My. Gosh.

You make an attempt to say something else, but he only shushes you again.

"Don't worry about me. You can't help me anyway."

"You don't know that," you say quickly.

"Yes, actually, I do."

"But-"

"Shhhh."

Placing his hands on your cheeks, he leans in a bit closer to you.

Okay...freaking out now.

"If anyone were to know the truth, I would never see you anymore," he whispers into your ear in such a soft, sweet tone, it makes you get chills all over.

"But...why?"

"...I hope that someday...I can tell you," he exhales, the hot air from his lungs coming out of his mouth and all around your ear and neck. Finally, he leans away. "But for now, please don't tell anyone what I've told you tonight, alright?"

"...Okay..." you say, dazed.

The song ends, and a final dance song comes on.

"...I'll be back," you say. "I need to use the restroom."


	10. Chapter 10:  Sketch for Summer

Chapter 10: Sketch for Summer ((youtube: watch?v=2sJIdj7Xz94))

Memo: NOBUCHIKA ERI SONG! GO EDUCATE YOURSELVES IN HER WONDERFUL VOICE! :D (in other words, use the link above!^^)

after the party

roxas's pov

"Well, thank you for coming," Yuffie says, sticking out her tongue to the side in her usual fashion.

"You're welcome, but it was no big deal," you say, imitating her.

"Hah, that's what you think now," Aerith says, hi-fiving Yuffie. They both grin at you, then Kenzie, who grins back. Was she in on this...?

"Well, see you," you say gruffly, pulling Kenzie away.

"Later!"

As you head out into the cold, night air, Kenzie is still laughing.

"That was the most fun I've ever had," she says, smiling brightly at you.

"Yeah," you agree half-heartedly. Were you seriously tricked into this...all of them knew...? "I'm tired, though."

"Yeah...I am a little, but I've got this serious adrenaline rush going on right now. I can't wait to get home."

"Why?"

"Um, so I can relax it off, of course. Duh."

"Hmph."

Glancing at your phone, you see that it's past midnight. Why is she so hyper...? It's past when she normally goes to bed.

"Did you drink a lot of caffeine or something?" you ask her.

"Nope. I told you, it's an adrenaline rush." She skips a little. "I can't tell you why, though." She winks a little, still grinning.

"Haha, very funny," you grumble as she laughs.

She never struck you as being related to Axel until now. With her hyped-up disposition, she's acting just like him. It's...somewhat irritating. Thankfully, your front door is in plain sight.

"Besides, I have to distract myself somehow," she continues.

"Why's that? Can you tell me that?" you ask.

"Well, when I was abducted, I was walking alone at night. So now, I hate walking alone anywhere, but I have to do it, I guess. I just have to get over it."

"Aren't you the bounce-back champ," you say, unlocking the front door.

your pov

"You bet I am," you say, trying not to scream in sheer delight. If there were some way you could keep him distracted until he turns on the lights and turns around...

"Well, we're home," he says, hand on the light switch.

"Agh, crap. Hey, Roxas, do you see anything in my eye?" you try, your heart racing.

"Hold on," he says, flicking on the light switch without turning around. OMG IT LOOKS AMAZING IN THERE! "...No, I don't..."

"Ah, it's okay, I'll get it eventually," you say. *Turn around, walk inside.*

"Yeah, now that we're home," he says, backing into the house. Finally, he turns around, and you watch in amusement as his keys fall out of his hand and onto the new flooring.

"Oh my..." he murmurs, walking more inside. You shut the door behind you, grinning. Hehe, you're so good. "What...who...?" He looks over at a note on the new mirror. "'Thanks for your business! HB Renovators.'...There are new keys here, too..."

Immediately his head whips around to you, and you stand there, looking as innocent as possible.

"_You_ did this?" he practically screams.

"Guilty," you admit, raising a hand timidly.

"You-but how? I thought-"

"Turns out I had a savings account, and I had so much excess, I couldn't think of what to use it for, so, tada?" you explain, smiling.

"You...did all this for me?" He seems to still disbelieve you.

"Of course. If it weren't for you, I would've never made it out of that hospital. I had to thank you somehow."

"...I-"

"No, no, come on! I haven't seen your reaction to the best part yet!" you insist, grabbing his arm and dragging him toward the old "shed" next to his house. "Close your eyes, and don't cheat!"

"I won't, I promise," he says, obviously still in severe shock.

When you reach the shed-turned-garage, you cry, "Open them!"

You can't even imagine what must be going through his head when he sees the little red sport car in his garage. Obviously, quite a bit of emotion, because he literally collapses to his knees.

"Is this...?"

"No, I got it for me," you say sarcastically, pulling him up. "Of course it's for you. It was free if I bought so much stuff."

"You...no way. I don't believe you," he says, breathless.

"You had better. I paid for it all by myself."

"How much...?"

"400,000."

Roxas's eyes widen and look at you in total and complete disbelief.

"No."

"Yes, I swear, I did it."

Completely to your surprise, Roxas practically tackles you in a hug.

"Thank you. No one has ever done anything like this for me before," he whispers into your ear.

"Oh, I don't believe that," you say, hugging him back. "Surely-"

"No, you don't understand..." He pulls away, leaving his hands on your shoulders. "I lived almost all of my life, and not just as a Nobody, serving other people and caring for other people. This is the first time anyone has ever thought to give back..."

"Do you think nobody cares about you?" you ask him, placing your hands on his shoulders. "You've got great friends who really do care about you, you know. Do you really expect me to believe you?"

"_Yes_," he insists.

"And why's that?"

"They have lives too. And they don't trust...well, they _trust_ me, but they don't understand why I won't open up to them, and that makes them wary of me."

"Well, I'm not 'wary' of you at all."

"I can tell _now_," he says, smiling a genuine smile. "That's why I'm so grateful. Do you understand?"

Hesitantly, you nod. You do get what he's saying. But why? Why is there so much tension inside him... what could he possibly be hiding?

"C'mon, I want to see the rest of the house," he says suddenly, pulling you along.

"I'm tired now," you admit. "I think I'll go see what they did to my room."

The next morning

roxas's pov

"I'll see you later," you say to Kenzie as she yawns. Giving you a thumbs-up, she nods slowly.

"Okay, but not for long. I work today, too," she reminds you, stretching a little.

"Yeah, that's right. Well, see you anyway."

Grabbing your new black key off of the hall dresser-thing, you head outside into the cool morning air.

And then it hits you. You have a car now.

"Back already?" Kenzie says sarcastically as you walk back inside.

"I'm driving," you say cheerfully.

"Okay, I'll be sure to warn the authorities."

Whatever. You don't care, even if she were being serious. You're actually _happy_. This never happens anymore.

It's a good feeling as the car starts up. You learned how to drive over a year ago, and it's a great freedom. Being able to drive to work...hehehe, everyone's gonna be jealous. (:3)

The trip to work is shorter, too, you realize when you pull into the employee parking. This is the first time you've ever used employee parking, too.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Cid's unmistakable country drawl calls out.

"Roxas, I see you drove today," Hayner says, coming up and flopping an arm around your shoulders.

"Yep," you reply.

"So...how was it?"

"Driving?"

"No, stupid. Your house."

"You know about that?"

"Of course. That's why we were all set on you getting out of the house yesterday."

"I thought it was to set me up with a date," you say.

"That too. How was that? Heh, you don't even need to answer that. Bet you had a great time, huh, Doctor Love?"

"What are you _talking _about?"

"Don't play dumb with me; you know it doesn't work." Hayner punches your arm. "We saw you last night at the dance."

"Seriously, what are you TALKING about?"

"Quit the dumb blonde act, Roxas. You kissed her."

"...What? When did you see _that_?" Hayner is your best friend, but you're not gonna deny he's a _total idiot_.

"During the slow dance, duh."

"I wasn't kissing her, duh."

"You weren't?"

"No."

"That's definitely what it looked like, dude. You were leaning into her neck and everything."

"I was telling her something, you perverted freak," you snap, shrugging his arm off of you.

"Aha, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, eh?"

"No, I was telling her something that I didn't want anyone around to hear, or else they'd think we were BOTH crazy, judging by the rest of our conversation."

"Oh really? What d'ja tell her?" Hayner asks.

You sigh, knowing you've finally found a way out of this completely awkward conversation.

"If I tell you, will you stop hounding me and not make me answer any more of your questions?"

"Sure thing!"

"Okay." You grin. "I told her not to tell anyone else about what we talked about."

Hayner growls.

"So what were you talking about?" he asks.

"Nice try, but you promised."

"Grrrrrrrrrr..."

Stalking away, he walks over to the counter where Olette is sitting and starts talking to her instead. Heh.

Later that afternoon

your pov

It's very different in here, you've realized. They really did a nice job with replacing most everything. But you're beginning to wonder...did they go upstairs at all? If they did...is the door unlocked?

Your mind has been battling at it all afternoon. To check, or not to check. What could it hurt?

...Let's not answer that question. Is it really worth it?

...Let's not answer that question, either.

"Oh, shoot, why not?" you finally say, bolting out of the living room and down the hall and up the stairs. With a shaking hand, you attempt to open the door, and it does. It opens.

Your heart starts racing like it did last night, only worse, because this is a no-no. But it's too late now. You're already here.

To your surprise, everything is still pretty dusty. There are boxes everywhere, and most are filled with junk. But a few have letters and photos in them. That's what you're really interested in.

"I wonder..." You walk toward the closest picture box. The photos on top are hardly dusty at all, but they're not recent. Roxas looks younger in them, and there's this girl.

"Namine," you mouth, looking at her closely. "She's...really _pretty_." Her long blonde hair is shiny and cascading down her shoulders in all of the pictures. But...

But she's sitting next to Roxas, and while _he_ looks really happy, she doesn't look that way at all. In fact, you'd say she's FAKING her smiles in each picture, especially the one where he's kissing her cheek.

A garage door opening causes you to drop the pictures back into the box and sprint downstairs, slamming the door behind you.

"Hey, I'm home," Roxas says as you are settled into the living room couch again.

"Hey," you sigh. "I have to leave in a few, I guess."

"I could drive you," he offers.

"Hmmm... does the top come down on your car?"

"I don't know, probably."

"I'll ride if it does."

"Why does that matter?"

"Because it does."

Chuckling, he walks around to the other side of the couch with you. "What are you listening to?"

"Huh?" You had forgotten...you left the radio on. "Well, I'm not sure."

Listening harder, you both realize at the same time that it's in another language.

"It's pretty. Too bad we can't understand it," Roxas says, sitting down. "...Are you seriously still working on this puzzle?"

"Uh-huh..."

"...I couldn't ever figure this one out. I just kept giving up on it," he says, laughing.

"I'm definitely considering it," you admit, grinning. "But I've come a ways, and you helped, so eventually it'll-"

"This goes here," he says, putting a piece in its proper place. "Yes!"

"Haha, we're so desperate."

"Pretty much, if we get excited for putting one piece in place."

"Yeah, but at least we're GETTING somewhere."

"Speaking of getting somewhere..._you_ have to be somewhere." Roxas stands. "C'mon, let's go. I'll drive you over there."

"Okay."

Grabbing your hat off the back of the couch, you follow Roxas out to the garage. It's a bit colder than in the house, but you can still feel the heat of the car from running not too long ago.

*Did you use to drive Namine around?* you wonder, glancing at him. *Why was she not happy...?*


	11. Chapter 11:  Relapse

Chapter 11: Relapse ((youtube: watch?v=74zt63KOUs8))

Memo: The title for this chapter happens to be one of my fave Jesse McCartney songs...definitely my fave to drive to with the bass up LOUD. :P Things will start to wrap up (or "unfold" you could say ^_~) at the end of this chapter, so read on, proud citizen! :3

The next Monday

your pov

"Well...I have good news for you and bad news for you," Aerith says after reading the data charts for your therapy session. "Which do you want first?"

"You can't tell me both at the same time?" you inquire. She shakes her head, grinning. "Okay, then the bad news first, I guess."

"Well, bad news is, we're not going to be seeing each other that much anymore," she says, frowning. OH NO!

"What happened? Did you lose your job? Did something happen to Cloud? ...Aerith, are you pregnant?"

"Haha, _no_. You'll understand in a minute. Ready for your good news?"

"I suppose..."

Scaring the sh!t out of you, Aerith throws the clipboard up in the air, letting it clack to the ground.

"YOU'RE DONE WITH THERAPY!" she shouts.

...!

"NO WAY!" you shout back, jumping off the table.

"YES WAY! You are to the point in your recovery that neither Yuffie nor I can do anything to help you. The rest of the changes have to come from you, young lady." She grins brightly. "But you're free! You can sleep in again!"

"YAY!" you cry, dancing around. "I'm free! I'm free!"

Suddenly Yuffie comes in from the adjacent room and starts dancing with you.

"Free-e! Free-e!" you all chant, dancing...in your bra and undergarments. (XD) So now you're free in two ways!

"Awwww...I'm gonna miss you guys, though..." you say after a while.

"You know you're welcome any time at my place!" Yuffie cries, throwing an arm around your shoulders. "I'm a single chick, so we can have single chick talks!"

"Until you get a boyfriend..." Aerith says, smirking and crossing her arms.

"Hmph. Yeah, whatever you say. I meet new guys everyday, lemme tell ya..." you grumble, throwing your shirt on, as well as your pants.

"You don't have to meet any NEW guys, trust me," Yuffie says.

"If you mean Roxas...I..."

"You like him.

"Yeah. So what if I do? That doesn't change his opinion any."

"But it'll help." Yuffie straightens up. "The kid is easily flattered."

"Ugh, let's not talk about _her_," Aerith says, cringing.

"Who? Namine?" you ask.

"He's _talked_ about her to you?" Yuffie gasps.

"Very briefly. But I know who she is. I...saw a couple pictures of her with Roxas."

"She was his girlfriend, the _foul_ creature," Aerith says, gritting her teeth. "I don't ever see why Roxas trusted her other than the fact that she gave him almost everything he wanted."

"But she's gone."

"She ran off with all his munny!" Yuffie exclaims, frowning. "Probably to another guy, too."

"Do you think she's still alive?" you say.

"I hope not," they both reply in unison.

"She was totally using him, you know," Yuffie adds.

"I know, don't remind me," Aerith says, walking away.

"Well, see you around, Mackenzie! Give us a ring-a-ding-ding!" Yuffie calls out, following Aerith.

"Bye."

Well...that was informative. You had never thought to use Aerith or Yuffie for information before, but you'll remember that in the future. Gossipy girls can be useful.

"What took you so-"

"Guess what?" you cry, interrupting Roxas.

"What?"

"I don't have any more of this! I'm done with physical therapy! Done with the system!"

"Really? That's awesome!"

You exchange hi-fives.

"Just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping!" you add, laughing.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Aw, c'mon. I'll make it fun for you."

"What? I'm not shopping with you," Roxas says, walking away.

"Hey!" you cry, chasing after him. "C'mon, it'll be fun. You'll see."

roxas's pov

As you walk out to the parking lot, the cool, late-fall air hits you both hard.

"You know, this'll be the first Christmas I've had in two years," Kenzie says, smiling a little.

"...Yeah..."

"Spending it alone was hard the first year," she continues. "And it'll be weird without my brother or my parents here, but...at least I won't be alone."

"Neither of us will be," you say, nodding. She smiles, nodding back.

"So, what do you want?"

"I _hate_ it when people ask me that!" you shout, laughing.

"Aw, why?"

"Because I always want something they can't give me."

"Um, hello? Roxas? Do you know who you're talking to here? It's Mackenzie Jay Harding, at your freaking remodeling service!"

You laugh. "I guess that's true."

"What could you possibly ask for?" she insists.

"..."

Really? What could you possibly ask for?

To have Namine home. Or to be able to get over her, or forget about her completely. Or to rewind the past three years, to where you never existed. Or to at least rewind the past year and a half. Kenzie would like that gift, too, probably.

"...You're sad again," Kenzie suddenly says just as you reach the car.

"Sorry," you mumble.

"It's okay, you don't have to apologize or anything." She grins, hopping in the passenger seat.

*I wish it could be that easy, Kenzie...* you want to reply, getting in your car.

The first half of the ride home is quiet, until Kenzie finally breaks the silence with an easy to answer question.

"So, what are we doing for Thanksgiving anyway?"

"Well, last year I went to Yuffie's 'cause she invited everyone over, but I dunno if she's going to this year," you reply, sighing.

"Ooo, we could throw a party," she suggests, and soon she's ranting off possible ideas that mean absolutely nothing to you because...well...you're not a girl. You just celebrate it for the thanksgiving and, of course, the food.

"What do you think?" she asks you suddenly, throwing you a bit off-guard.

"Uhhh, what?"

"Were you even listening to me?"

"Nope," you admit, grinning as you pull into the garage. You know...you've gotten used to this garage thing pretty quickly.

"Then what were you thinking about?"

"Food."

She laughs a little.

"Yeah...one time my mom let Lea cook? Um, no. Not good. He was supposed to make macaroni and cheese, right? Easy, right?"

"Riiight," you say, playing along as you enter the house.

"Well, he started out okay, then the water boiled over, then the cheese didn't melt all the way, and he didn't even bother to add butter or milk like usual. It was a disaster."

"I can imagine." Axel cooking just doesn't seem like a safe situation at all.

"Mom gave him a second chance with the rolls? Burnt 'em...tried to cover it up by putting flour on the bottom. _That_ didn't work." She sticks out her tongue in disgust. "They tasted so gross."

"Then what?" you ask.

"Well, first he got yelled at for trying to cover it all up, and then he was banned from cooking."

"Bet he wasn't too sad about that, huh?"

"Not at all," she says, laughing. She stops then, walking back over to the couch. "...I want to finish this."

"Then let's," you say, joining her.

"What, will it finally give you the triumph of completion?"

"Exactly."

Grinning, she plops down, picking up pieces.

"I'll stay up all night if I have to!" she cries. "Besides, I don't work until two anyway. I can sleep in."

"Two to nine, right?"

"Uh-huh."

As you both sit there, trying your hardest to figure out this puzzle, Kenzie throws around more party ideas.

"Can't we? It'll be so fun," she begs you, poking out her lower lip in a pouty way.

"Ehhhh...I'll think about it."

"Aw, c'mon!" She sticks a piece on to the puzzle, grins, then continues. "We could go buy stuff tomorrow before the rush, and do stuff now so that it's not last minute later."

"Well..."

your pov

Oh, he's SO about to crack. (:D)

"It'll just be, like, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, Leon, Rinoa, Cloud, Hayner, Pence, and Olette! That's eleven people counting us, which isn't _too_ bad. C'mon, pleeeeease?"

"Wellll...I guess."

"YAY!" Finally. You've been wanting this.

He doesn't even realize how hard it was for you to know that your family and friends could celebrate together, and you were trapped in the dark, being abused and other things besides. You haven't forgotten, and you never will. But you'll surely recover.

"So-"

"Thank you!" you cry, hugging him tightly.

"You're welcome. I guess it's no big deal."

"If you want, I could pay for the extra grocery stuff," you offer.

"Nah, it's fine. I'll handle it."

"Are you sure? Because I could-"

"It's fine, I swear. So, are we going tomorrow morning, then?"

"Yeah, whenever. Like, nine-thirty-ish?"

Roxas pouts a little. "So much for sleeping in."

"Aw, it'll be worth it in the end."

Now that your wish has been granted, so to speak, you divert your attention back to the near-impossible puzzle. You're actually about halfway through it now, thanks to Roxas's help, but still...you haven't quite made it clear yet.

The next morning

roxas's pov

"Ugh, that's the last of it!" Kenzie cries. She's pretty alert in the mornings...

"Finally," you mumble, looking at all the food stuffs. "You know you didn't have to help pay-"

"It's fine, I have munny."

Her gaze shifts from you to over your shoulder. She smiles, and you know why immediately.

You stayed up until one finishing that dumb puzzle. But...somehow...it was worth it in the end.

"Never take it down," she says, smiling brightly at you.

"Never, not after all that hard work."

"Speaking of hard work, let's unload all this stuff!"

So you both get to work, unloading all the turkey stuff, vegetables, and other random assortments of food. You really wonder if your cabinets, despite their renovation, are fit to hold all this stuff...

"Do you hear that?" Kenzie suddenly asks about halfway through. "It sounds like...something buzzing."

You stop, and everything is quiet for a moment. But then, sure enough, you hear it too.

"What is it?" you ask her.

"I dunno."

Keeping your eyes and ears open, you follow the sound to the living room table.

"Ah, it's only my phone," you say.

*Oh...my phone.*

Heart thundering in your chest, you flip it open to see Hayner's number.

"What's up?" you ask when you answer.

"We found her."

your pov

"What's up?" Roxas says into his cell phone. That's the first time you've ever seen him actually USE his phone. "...Where?"

Turning his back to you, he walks over to write something down.

"I know...I know. Okay."

Walking around the couch, he walks right past you, still on the phone.

"I'll be there in a few. Bye."

"Roxas-"

"Kenzie, I'm sorry. It's an emergency," he says, cutting you off as he walks toward the garage. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

"...Okay," you whisper, lowering your head.

"I'll see you later."

And with that, he's gone. And here you are...standing here like an idiot.

"...Why can't you just let her go...?"


	12. Chapter 12:  Beauty is as beauty does

Chapter 12: Beauty is as beauty does. ((youtube: watch?v=XpgZStLc7tk))

Memo: *gasp* *gasp* *gasp*! OMG I can't believe I've actually gotten to this point...:D So this is basically starting off right where we were, only with alternate pov. :3

roxas's pov

When your phone rang earlier, you were hoping it wasn't Hayner. You didn't want it to come to this. A call from Hayner meant news of or from Namine-in this case, of. Although it could go either way, you assume she's probably dead.

*What did I not do right?* you want to ask her. *I'm sorry that I couldn't make you stay. Why didn't you just tell me what I could've done differently? You know that all I wanted was for _you_ to be happy... Maybe _that_ was my problem...*

Sighing slowly through your nose, you tighten your grip on the steering wheel. Normally, a drive out to the fifth district park wouldn't be anything big. In fact, you're _used_ to driving through there. In fact, you've _checked_ this dumb park already. Sure, it's a big place, but you've been there before.

*I want to be done with this,* you tell yourself, pulling into the familiar parking lot. *I can't keep going anymore. Let this be over.*

Slamming and locking your car door, you run all the way back to the river bank. It doesn't take long to see a small van there, as well as Pence and Hayner.

"I'm here," you say loudly, getting their attention. You run up to Hayner, a bit out of breath. "I'm here."

"Hey," he says quietly. He then nods down toward the bank. "She's around the side of the van."

"Okay."

Slowly but surely, you walk around the van.

And there she is.

At first, you aren't sure. Surely this skeletal corpse with eaten-away skin can't be the person you once were in love with. But you know it's her. Even in death, the way her body is resting on the pebbly bank gives it away.

"..." Dropping to your knees, you look closely at her once-beautiful face. She's obviously been dead for a while. Her eyes, which appear to be wide open, have been almost completely degenerated away, from both age and aquatic animals. Some of her bones are showing in odd places, like her elbows and her neck.

Her neck...

Around it is a worn, tattered, rotten rope.

"...It's her, then, isn't it?" Hayner suddenly asks you.

"...Yeah," you whisper, unable to even think, let alone talk.

"...Her body washed up here not too long ago, according to the park officer we talked to. She said-"

"Hayner," you finally say. "Look, I...I don't care."

"...I understand. But, listen-"

Hayner, forcing your clenched hand open, places something crumpled into it.

"This was addressed to you. Don't ask me what it says. I didn't read it."

You bring your hand forward to your face.

"A note?"

"It was in a little pouch, so it stayed fairly dry." Hayner sighs. "I'll...leave you alone for now, I guess. ..."

When the sound of Hayner's footsteps has completely faded, you find it finally safe to unfold the note.

_Roxas_

_If you are reading this, I am dead. I don't blame you for what I've done, but I have to explain myself. It was nothing you did...well, not really._

_I really did love you, Roxas. You are such a great person. Unfortunately, I guess I couldn't see past a few things. Please, don't think it was anything you did or didn't do. _

_You may have figured this out already, but I cheated on you. _

You can't help but read those last four words over and over. With who? Why...?

_Something happened when we did what we did to Kairi and Sora. I just...I couldn't love you anymore like before. It didn't feel right anymore. But I felt trapped, and I knew you wanted my happiness, and you were trying so hard. So I stayed with you, but I didn't love you like before._

_Please, don't do anything to him. _

_Every time I left to go somewhere, I went back to Destiny Islands to see Riku. _

Riku? _Riku_?

_He was really upset the first time I went to see him, and nothing happened then. But then, the next time I visited, I told him about everything that had been discussed and everything just spilt out. I realized that I had fallen in love with the wrong person._

_I know what you're thinking. Everything we did...was for nothing. You hopefully have a new life now. If you were still looking for me all this time, I'm sorry you had to waste your time._

_Please, I'm begging you, as a friend, don't do anything to Riku. I don't care what you do to my remains or any of my stuff. Don't do anything. Keep moving on. Don't ever let me back into your heart again!_

_I'm sorry I hurt you. I couldn't forgive myself, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't choose between you anymore. I didn't want to hurt either of you. Both of you were in my heart, if that's possible._

_Maybe we'll see each other again some day._

_Namine_

...

...

...

It's a damn good thing she's already dead, because you'd KILL her!

What was she THINKING? Riku _knows_? Geeeeez! It's a wonder you're not in jail or something!

But...

It was a lot of pressure, for both of you. There's no surprise to the snap to their best friend. That's...not really what bothers you.

Why did she leave? Why did she feel compelled to do that? Did she...really not love you?

"Hey, Roxas," Pence says quietly, walking around the side of the van. You quickly crumple up the note. "Man, I'm-"

"Don't apologize. It doesn't matter anymore," you say.

"...So, what do you want us to do with her? You want a funeral or-"

"No," you reply. "Just...send her back."

"Send her back...?"

With a nod, you kick her lifeless body back into the river. At first, it just floats there, but soon it sinks down, sailing away for good.

"Take this with you," you mumble, throwing the note back into the water.

"Roxas-"

"I'll see you around, Pence."

As fast as you can, you run. You're not running to your car, or even home at this point. You've just got to think.

Let's see. Namine cheated on you with Riku? Why? She said in the note that something had happened when "you did what you did to Kairi and Sora," but that's so vague. Did she suddenly realize she didn't love you after all, but really loved Riku? Maybe she loved you both. That's kind of what she said at the end.

She also said she couldn't choose. Were you asking her to? You had kind of had a suspicion against Namine because of her strange disappearances in which you had no idea where she was going or when she'd be back. The last time she left, she never came back. That must've been the end of it all right then.

*What did I do to deserve this?* you wonder, slowing your pace. The sky around you looks like rain tonight.

Could you really not make her happy? Did you really waste all your time...?

*I could've spent more time with patients and friends, and...oh man. Kenzie.*

It's been over nine hours since you left, and it's at least an hour slow-walk home. She's probably at work now, but if you're not home when she is, she'll be worried.

*I'm so sorry, Kenzie,* you think, jogging now at a comfortable pace. *I couldn't think. I just sat there like an idiot for so long...*

later that night

your pov

"Ro-xas!" you call out, coming through the front door. "I'm home!...Roxas?"

Nothing has moved from where you left things, which means he must not be home.

"Roxas? Roxas!"

Running out to the garage, you see that his car is still absent. It really must've been an emergency after all.

Well, you might as well shower and change while you wait.

*Did any of this have to do with Namine?* you wonder, stepping into your shower minutes later. *Maybe they found her. What if she's alive? Will she come back with him? Oh gosh!*

You shiver, and not from the water temperature.

*I couldn't deal with that. What if she's really mean or jealous? What if they kick me out? I wouldn't have anywhere to go. Roxas and I talked about me moving out this morning, but it was hypothetical. Or was it? Did he know this would happen?*

A tear escapes your eye, and it blends with the soap-filled water on your face.

*I don't want to leave! I couldn't take that. I have no family, and I don't think my friends would really be set on letting me move in or anything.*

"Ahhh, I've got to stop thinking about this," you tell yourself, rinsing out the shampoo from your hair. "He wouldn't ever do anything like that. Roxas is a goody two shoes."

In fact, Roxas probably has the cleanest record of all the people that work at the hospital.

...Although...he did say something to you that night at the dance...

"If anyone were to know the truth, I would never see you anymore."

...Does he mean, like, he would die?

"I can't imagine that," you say quietly, wrapping a towel around yourself. "If something happened to him..."

Where would you go? What would you do? You can't imagine living on the streets. You'd probably be abducted again, only this time, no one would be there to come and find you as easily.

It turns out that Roxas and the others had been planning to come and get into the house you were in for a while. They had suspected someone might be inside. They were right, and you're glad they came!

Even after you change and sit on the couch for a while, Roxas doesn't come back.

*Maybe if I sleep, the time will go by faster,* you think, lying down on the couch.

The clock on the wall reads 10:04. He's out late.

*I hope nothing happened to him. The streets were kind of icy today. What if he had a wreck?*

An image of a car crashing fills your head.

*Oh gosh. What if he did, and he's hurt? What if he's dead? What if-*

The sound of the front door opening fills your ears, and your eyes shoot open in fright.

"Roxas?" you say quietly, lifting yourself up. It's him. "What happened?"

He doesn't answer; he only locks the door behind him.

"Wait, where's your car? Where-"

Suddenly, as if in slow motion, Roxas collapses to his knees, leaning against the door for support.

"Roxas!" you cry, running over to him. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Once again, no response. Feeling uneasy about this, you pull him to his feet again and over to the couch. He sounds out of breath, like he was running for a long time or something.

"Roxas..." you say quietly.

Suddenly he starts shaking, and it takes you a moment to realize he's crying.

Whoa wait. Stop. No way. Roxas is actually _crying_?

"Roxas-"

"...She's...dead," he finally manages to mutter.

"Who...Namine?" He nods. "Oh...Roxas..."

"She...was a lying...cheating..." He growls under his breath.

"Did they find her?" He nods again. "And she was..." Another nod.

"I put all my faith into her..." He shakes his head, obviously extremely upset.

"Roxas..."

"And now...I have..."

"Stop it! Shut your mouth!" you cry, embracing him tightly. "You don't have to have her! You don't need her!"

"...What do you...?"

"You have your friends, and we all love you! Don't you realize that?"

"...I..."

roxas's pov

"Roxas, please, forget about her!" Kenzie cries, on the verge of hysteria.

"..."

"You have friends who would love you no matter what!"

*No matter what, huh?* you wonder, looking at Kenzie. *Maybe...you're the only one I can trust this with after all...*

"Please, understand!"

"...I know..." you finally say. "I still have...other things to live for."

"Right..."

"...Kenzie...go to bed," you command her, knowing that you're going to have to think hard about this decision. This could cost you your life.

"No, I can't now," she insists. "I...don't trust you by yourself right now. I'm...afraid." She releases you, and you see the honest fear in her bright green eyes.

"I won't leave. You can sleep here, and I won't move," you promise her.

At first, she hesitates, then finally she gives in and rests her head on your leg.

two hours later

your pov

*I'm afraid to open my eyes,* you think, lying still on the couch. *I don't want this to be bad.*

Unfortunately, your curiosity-once again-gets the better of you, and you open your eyes to see darkness again. The clock now reads 12:13.

Pushing yourself up, you see that Roxas is still awake, just sitting there.

"I'm sorry," he says, looking at you. "Did I wake you up?"

"I don't think so," you reply, shaking your head. You rest your shoulder against his, still tired despite the nap.

"...I...I've just been thinking."

"About...her?"

"Well, not really her...but...just...the future, and what I'll do next."

"What do you mean?"

"I started that hospital for her," he explains. "The reason we searched the house you were held in was because I thought Namine might be there. All my efforts went into finding her. But now, that's over. So I don't know what to do next."

"You're not...going to close the hospital, are you?"

"No, never. I couldn't ever do that," he says quickly.

"Then-"

"I...I just have to find someone new to trust," he continues.

*Pick me,* you think.

"You...I could trust you with this, I think, but...I don't know if I should," he admits.

"Why? I wouldn't tell anyone."

"I know, but that's not what I mean. I..."

That sort of an "I..." just meant something here.

"Does it have to do with your Nobody? Sora, right?"

"Sora? What do _you_ know about him?" Roxas asks you quickly.

"Nothing. I just figured out that his name must be Sora, in order to be your Nobody and have a realistic name."

"Oh..."

"Why did you ask?" You peer closer into his eyes. "Does it have to do with him? You can trust me. I swear."

He hesitates, but finally, he looks you straight in the eye.

"I think...that...maybe..."

"Maybe...?"

But he doesn't answer with words.

And his soft lips press into yours.


	13. Chapter 13: Bleeding Love:  FINALE

Chapter 13: Bleeding Love-FINALE. (( youtube : watch?v=BWHD4HnZXTE))

Memo: :3 OMG. that's all I have to say. Don't be haters, btw. XD And I didn't just foreshadow in the last chapter~! Nonsense! 9_9...

your pov

There's a strange thing about this kiss. It's...a different feeling. Something you haven't felt before.

Whatever feeling this is, it has completely taken you over with each kiss that comes. And whatever it is, there's a little bit of fear mixed in.

And then, it happens, just as one of Roxas' warm hands touches your cheek.

Like a sudden flood lets loose, your mind goes through all the horrible things that happened to you in the past. Being abducted, gagged, raped, beaten, starved, overfed, cut, smashed, and ripped up inside and out...it's all becoming free again. It makes you want to cry out.

Without really meaning to, the hand that has connected with Roxas's tenses, and you squeeze his hand tightly, your nails digging into him.

To your surprise and heartbreak, his hand squeezes back, almost as tightly.

*Tell me everything,* you think as finally he pulls away for the final time.

"...I think I love you," he says quietly, your noses touching ever so slightly.

"...I know I love you," you reply confidently, and the burden that has been tugging at your heavy heart sets itself free at last.

"..."

Another few kisses are exchanged before any more conversation presents itself.

"...I..." Roxas glances at your interlocked hands, then looks down, avoiding eye contact with you. "...I'm sorry."

"...S-sorry?" you sputter, a little shocked. "What...?"

"No, you don't understand."

"I don't," you admit.

"...I can't do this. It's unfair to you." He sighs quietly. "You have to know."

"Then tell me," you say.

"Gosh...I don't even know where to start...wait. First, before I say anything, you've got to promise me something, Kenzie." His hands grasp yours tightly. "You can't tell anyone this, alright? Please, I'm begging you. Unless my life would somehow rely on it, don't you tell a soul."

"I promise, I won't," you say, your voice trembling.

He suddenly releases your hands, sighing again.

"I'm gonna tell you the truth. You're probably going to hate me for it, but...there's nothing we can do about it now." His eyes lock with yours, then look away. "Where to start...I guess...should be the beginning of this whole mess... Do you know how a Nobody is created, Kenzie?"

"No," you answer quietly.

"When a strong-willed person dies, they turn into a Heartless. But also, some will have an empty shell left behind. That is a Nobody: a being that cannot truly exist, because it has no feelings, nor a heart. They're just there, but not truly."

"And...?"

"That's what we were. Myself...and Namine. We were only shells of a being. Our others, Sora and Kairi, still lived on, and even though we found each other through them...it wasn't the same. We could only really be ourselves when Sora and Kairi were in the midst of dreams, and sometimes under other circumstances.

"I hated it, and Namine did too. All we wanted was to be ourselves and be happy for once, you know?"

He glances at you, then immediately looks away, as if ashamed of this thought.

"But things went too far...and, well, now look." He sighs, shrugging. "Kenzie...the truth about Namine is...she cheated on me."

"...?" Not that this news surprises you at all, but...poor guy!

"Sora and Kairi's best friend was a guy named Riku. He's a year older than us, long silver hair, and he and I have never gotten along. But he and Namine..." He stops talking for a moment, and then shakes his head. "Well, that doesn't matter too much anymore.

"What I'm getting at here is this: Namine and I came up with a plan to be ourselves, so..."

Once again, he hesitates, looking at you.

"...We killed them."

roxas's pov

"...We killed them," you murmur, unable to look at the innocent girl sitting next to you. You've never told anyone this before, and so far, it's not getting any easier as you go along. "In their sleep, we killed them both. I know Riku knows, but I've...never told that to anyone before. I couldn't. Everyone else was friends with Sora-he was the Keyblade Master. Everyone asks about him, and I can't say anything. He's dead...I killed him."

Finally, you look up at Kenzie, and the only expression that is upon her face is that of sheer horror.

"If I could do this over, I would, I swear," you add quickly, but her face doesn't change for the better.

"...You mean...to tell me...?"

Suddenly she jumps up, backing away from you.

"I-I trusted you-!" she cries, her voice cracking.

"You _can_ trust me!" you insist.

"How can I? You, of all people? Why? Why did you have to ruin this?" Her hands are clutched to her chest, as if to rip out her heart. You wish you could do that to yourself.

"I'm so sorry, but I-"

"Sorry? _Sorry_? What does that change?" She backs up so far as to run into the wall, but even then she flattens herself against it. "I trusted you! I thought you..."

Suddenly she collapses to her knees, sobbing hysterically, her arms wrapped around herself.

"Kenzie, please..." You start to get up and move toward her, but she jumps up quickly, screaming at you.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"But I-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

Never turning her back toward you, she heads around the room toward the door.

"Kenzie, please, I-"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE DOING THIS TO ME!" she shouts, still crying. "DAMMIT! YOU'VE RUINED _EVERYTHING_!" Her hand reaches back for the door handle.

"No-"

"YOU'RE A LIAR AND _I HATE YOU_!"

Before you can stop her, Kenzie whips open the door and bolts outside into the night.

"No..."

Her last three words echo in your head for a few moments, then you feel your whole body just give way to the floor, paralyzed with a sick, guilty grief.

your pov

*Why did you do this to me?* you wonder, your feet moving as fast as they've ever moved. *You made me believe I was safe...that I was more than just...your escape.*

It's night, now raining, and freezing cold, but you can't stop running away from there. You never want to see his face again. You wish he could disappear.

*If you had just told me the truth from the beginning, we wouldn't be in this mess. Are you really so selfish?*

Soon your adrenaline rush wears down, and your run is slowed to a nice jog. The rain has changed as well; now a light snow is blanketing the streets.

*I wish letting you go was easier,* you think, turning into a dead end. *Did I have to fall for you so easily...?*

Your body slams itself against the cold, moist brick wall, and soon you've gone and slid down it, a mess of tears.

*You thought you had nothing. But now it's _me_ who has nothing.*

It's becoming colder by the minute, but you'd rather die than see him again at this point. The warm spot in your heart that was once his has vanished.

*Oh, Roxas...you shouldn't have been so nice to me,* you want to tell him, sobbing into your knees.

Bzz bzz...

Bzz bzz...

"What..."

You pull out your cell phone carefully with numb fingers to see that someone is calling you.

*No, Roxas, I'm not answering you,* you think, heading straight to your phonebook to delete his name.

And yet...you can't.

Something inside of you is refusing to give up. That little 1% wants him back.

But the other 99% is stronger.

You'll keep his cell number...for now. But there's no telling when you'll just hit "delete" and get rid of his memory forever.

If only memories _were_ that easy to delete. If you could only forget all about your house, and all the times you spent there.

Oh, your house. Your stuff is still there.

It won't matter tomorrow, but you'll need your work uniform eventually, not to mention your other belongings.

*Yuffie,* you immediately think, hitting 2 on your speed dial.

"Hello?"

Before you're able to say anything, you burst into tears.

"Mackenzie? What's wrong?" she asks.

"I...I need your help," you admit.

"What? Why? Did something happen?"

"Yeah."

"Aww, I bet I know. Did you and Roxas get into a fight?"

"Sort of," you reply, sniffling.

"Well, hey, it happens. So, girl, tell me what's up."

two days later

roxas's pov

"I can't keep calling in like this," you say to yourself, setting down your cell on the kitchen counter. "But...oh well. I have to get over this sometime."

To tell the truth, you've been doing a lot of talking to yourself lately. With Kenzie gone...

You hope she's not gone for good. You'd kill yourself if something happened to her.

Suddenly you hear a funny noise, and you whip your head around to see the front door handle jiggle.

*Oh man. Someone's trying to break in?* you think, readying yourself. *How can this get worse?*

But no, no one's trying to break in. It _is_ even worse.

Kenzie walks through the front door.

...She must've had her key on her that night.

Walking right past you, she heads to her room, suitcase in hand. Her head is turned completely away from you.

*It's no use, is it?* you wonder as she disappears into her room. *I can never win you back, huh?*

After you spend twenty minutes of idling around your living room, you hear her come back with a full suitcase in hand, and her work uniform on.

You immediately stand up, and your eyes meet. You can tell right now...it will probably be the last time that ever happens.

"Kenzie," you murmur.

Instead of answering, she pulls out her copy of your house key. She'll have to say something now, right?

But, to your utter shock and horror, Kenzie whips the key right at you, and instead of hitting you, the key hits the fragile clock tower puzzle. As if in its own shock and horror, the puzzle bursts into pieces, exploding every which way, including at your face and body. The key itself skids across the floor and slides under the sofa, never to be seen again. All of this seems to happen in slow motion, like it wants to torture you as much as humanly possible. You must finally be receiving the retribution for your sins.

And then, as if nothing had happened, Kenzie walks out the front door, slamming it on the way out.

You will probably never see her again.

END.


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